BHUBANESWAR  THURSDAY  MARCH 13, 2025  `9.00  PAGES 14  LATE CITY EDITION TRUMP’S 25% TARIFF ON ALL STEEL AND ALUMINIUM IMPORT KICKS IN The US increased tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports to 25% on Wednesday, saying this will create more factory jobs in the US CANADA LINES UP $20BN RETALIATORY TARIFFS EU TO TARGET U.S. GOODS WORTH $28 BILLION President Trump says new tariffs will help steel and aluminium makers in the US. However, economists warn they will raise the cost for US manufacturers that use these metals as raw materials. Canada, the largest supplier of steel and aluminium to the US, called the measures “completely unjustified” and has lined up $20.7 bn in retaliatory tariffs ■ ■ The European Union, which will also be hit hard by Trump’s policy, announced its countermeasures targeting US goods worth $28 bn including textiles, home appliances and agriculture products Both Australia and Mexico expressed their displeasure, but said they would not announce any retaliatory measures for now 26.4 million TONNES OF STEEL IMPORTED BY THE UNITED STATES IN 2023 CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOGGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Retail inflation below 4% for 1st time in 6 months At 3.61% in February, low CPI inflation raises hopes for another rate cut by RBI next month Ayushman Bharat rollout in Odisha from April 1 EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bhubaneswar THE Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana and Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana will be launched across the state from April 1. The Ayushman Vay Vandana scheme for the elderly above 70 years of age will also be rolled out on the same day . The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi at Lok Seva Bhawan on Wednesday. Several programmes will be held across all the 1,438 primary health centres of the state for launch of the scheme. A massive awareness campaign will be initiated for promotion and dissemination. Both Ayushman BharatPradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana and Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana will benefit more than 1.03 crore families of the state. Over 3.46 crore people will be benefitted. The two schemes are being implemented jointly in Odisha. PULSES & PRODUCTS VEGETABLES -5.85% -3.01% -1.07% -0.35% EGG BRIGHTENING the prospects of another interest rate cut by the Reserve Bank of India next month, retail inflation eased to a seven-month low of 3.61% in February driven by a sharp de, cline in food prices, government data released on Wednesday showed. Notably consumer , inflation has fallen below RBI’s 4% target after a gap of six months, and is the lowest since July 2024. In January 2025, retail inflation was at 4.26%. Meanwhile, another set of data showed the factory output, measured in terms of the Index of Industrial Production, grew 5% in January against 3.2% in December 2024, driven by the robust performance of the manufacturing sector. The Consumer Food Price Index, which measures changes in retail prices of food items, fell to 3.75% in February from 5.97% in January on the back of a significant drop in prices of vegetables, eggs, meat, etc. Rural inflation fell to 3.79% in February from 4.59% in January. Food inflation in rural regions also softened to 4.06% from 6.31%. Urban areas reported a similar trend, with headline inflation falling to 3.32% from 3.87%. Food inflation in cities declined to 3.20% from 5.53% in January . “In coming months, we ex- FOOD PRICES COOL SPICES D I PA K M O N D A L @ New Delhi pect food inflation to remain soft,” said Dipti Deshpande, principal economist, Crisil. Core inflation (non-food, non-fuel inflation), on the other hand, crossed the 4% mark for the first time since November 2023, reaching 4.1% in February 2025. This was driven by surging gold and silver prices. The low inflation print has also raised hopes for a rate cut. “CPI inflation print falling well below 4% has cemented the expectation of a back-to-back 25 bps rate cut in April 2025. This may be followed by another 25 bps repo rate cut in June 2025 or August 2025,” said Aditi Nayar, chief economist, ICRA. On state-wise inflation, Kerala topped the list of major states with the highest year-onyear inflation rate at 7.31% in February 2025, followed by Chhattisgarh (4.89%), Karnataka (4.49%), Bihar (4.47%), and Jammu & Kashmir (4.28%). SAGAR grows into a Train hijack drama over, 21 passengers killed, says Pak army MAHASAGAR vision AGENCIES PAKISTAN military operation to rescue hostages from a train hijacked by terrorists ended on Wednesday with all hostages recovered, Dawn newspaper reported. All terrorists involved have been killed, the report said. Head of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said all hostage passengers were recovered. A total of 21 passengers were killed, he said, adding no passenger was injured in the final clearance operation. “This operation was conducted with great skill and care since terrorists were using them as human shields,” Paramedics treat an injured passenger at the Mach railway station in Balochistan | AFP Chaudhry said. He said 33 terrorists were killed in the operation. The Jaffar Express carrying around 450 passengers were hijacked on Tuesday. Balochistan Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attack. Chaudhry said the terror- STARLINK APPEARS SET FOR INDIA ENTRY RAILWAY MINISTER ASHWINI VAISHNAW ON WEDNESDAY POSTED A MESSAGE ON X WELCOMING ELON MUSK’S STARLINK TO INDIA “Starlink, welcome to India! Will be useful for remote area railway projects,” he posted on X The minister later deleted the tweet It came as SpaceX made separate deals with Mukesh Ambani's Jio Platforms and Sunil MIttal's Bharti Airtel to bring Starlink's high-speed Internet service to India Starlink is the world's largest low-earth-orbit (LEO) constellation operated by SpaceX Starlink can help Bharti and Jio provide connectivity to previously underserved areas, especially areas currently with limited to no coverage The deals come weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Musk, seen as very close to Donald Trump, in Washington | P12 ists were in contact with their supporters and masterminds in Afghanistan during the operation via satellite phone. Earlier in the day officials , said some of the terrorists wearing vests loaded with explosives had formed groups of women and children and forced them to sit near them. Due to the presence of women and children with the suicide bombers, the operation was being conducted with utmost caution, they added. A security source earlier said that around 30 people who sustained injuries had been sent to hospitals. He said two drivers in the main engine and eight security personnel were killed during the operation. J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi PRIME Minister Narendra Modi launched MAHASAGAR, a vision for security and growth for the Global South, as India and Mauritius strengthened their strategic partnership amid China’s growing influence in the region in Mauritius on Wednesday . The two sides also signed eight aggrements. “Ten years ago, the foundation of Vision SAGAR, which stands for “Security and Growth for All in the Region” was laid here in Mauritius. We’re moving ahead with the SAGAR Vision for the stability and prosperity of this region,” said Modi. “Today building upon this, I , want to say that our vision for Global South will be going be- Smart Prime Minister Narendra Modi being conferred with Mauritius’ highest honour by its president on Wednesday yond SAGAR — it will be MAHASAGAR, i.e. “Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions,” he said. MAHASAGAR shall encompass the ideas of trade for development, capacity building for sustainable growth, and mutual security for a shared future, the PM explained.