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Chrysler to repay loans today

MACOMB TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said Monday that his company will save $300 million in interest a year when it repays $7.5 billion in U.S. and Canadian government loans today.

Marchionne has said that Chrysler is eager to pay back its loans in part because of the governments’ high interest rates of around 12 percent, which cost the company $1.2 billion last year.

To pay back the loans, Chrysler is issuing $3.2 billion in bonds and taking out $4.3 billion in bank loans. It also will use a $1.3 billion investment from Italian automaker Fiat SpA. In exchange, Fiat will increase its ownership stake in Chrysler to 46 percent.

Under that refinancing deal, Chrysler’s interest rates will fall to around 6 percent. That will boost the bottom line at the company.

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