YEN'S RISE PROMPTS US OFFICIAL JANET YELLEN'S CAUTIONS ON ‘CURRENCY INTERVENTION’ BY JAPAN

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen addressed recent fluctuations in the yen's value, noting its sharp movements but refrained from confirming if Japan had intervened in the currency market. Speaking to reporters in Mesa, Arizona, after a speech, Yellen said, “I’m not going to comment on whether they did or didn’t intervene. I think that that’s a rumour," as per Bloomberg.

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Yellen acknowledged that the yen had experienced significant shifts in a short period, stating, “We would expect these interventions to be rare and consultation to take place.”

This statement follows reported actions by Japanese authorities who purportedly entered the market to bolster the yen after it fell beyond 160 to the dollar for the first time in 34 years, and again after comments by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on U.S. interest rates, the report further added.

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Analyses suggest that Japan may have spent close to $60 billion on these market interventions. However, Japan's Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki did not confirm the interventions, as per Bloomberg.

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Over the past two years, Yellen's comments on potential Japanese interventions have varied, often highlighting a Group of Seven agreement favouring market-determined exchange rates. She reiterated that interventions should only aim at reducing market volatility, not at manipulating exchange rates, as per the report.

Yellen's visit to Arizona, a key battleground state, was part of a broader discussion on the Biden administration’s economic policies. In Sedona, she also spoke about the implications of a democratic backslide on the U.S. economy, emphasizing the connection between democratic stability and economic strength, the report explained.

(With Inputs from Bloomberg)

2024-05-05T03:33:08Z dg43tfdfdgfd