Stories for July 30th 2008
Chile-Australia sign comprehensive free trade agreement
Chilean Foreign Minister Alejandro Foxley is currently in Australia today and on Wednesday will be signing in Canberra a Free Trade Agreement, plus another battery of accords with Australian authorities.
Oil exploration in Magallanes Region begins next month
Several international oil companies awarded exploration blocks in Chile's extreme southern Magallanes region should begin oil and gas exploration in August, the government said on Tuesday.
Ecuador insists on deal to slash import tariffs on bananas
Ecuador, the world's top banana exporter, said it will insist that the European Union stick to a deal to slash import tariffs on bananas despite the collapse of world trade talks on Tuesday in Geneva.
Argentines remain uneasy about domestic markets
During the second quarter of this year, an estimated 8.5 billion US dollars left Argentina, double the worst quarter in 2007 and higher than the most negative of private forecasts, according to the latest information from the Argentine Central Bank.
Rio Tinto Corumba project target: 14.1 million tons of iron
Rio Tinto PLC, the world's second-largest iron ore producer announced Tuesday it will spend 2.15 billion US dollars on a major expansion of its iron ore mine in Corumbá, Brazil, to help meet increasing demand in South America and the Middle East.
Controversial first shipment of US beef arrives in South Korea
The first shipment of United States beef under a controversial import deal arrived in South Korea on Tuesday, officials said, amid lingering public concerns over mad cow disease.
Japan suspends Chilean pork imports as precaution
Chile has called the Japanese ambassador in Santiago to express concern over Tokyo's decision to suspend imports of Chilean pork allegedly for sanitary reasons, according to reports in the Chilean media.
Pinochet's daughter seeks office in Chile politics
The eldest daughter of Chile's former leader Augusto Pinochet is to run for a seat in municipal elections in October.
Russian officials inspect Mar del Plata fish plants
A delegation from Russia's Federal Veterinary and Phyto-Sanitary Control Service (Rosselkhoznadzor) this month visited the South Buenos Aires Regional Centre of the National Food Safety and Quality Service (SENASA), and a number of fisheries plants and vessels of Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires.
Farm leaders become most popular figures in Argentina
Argentine farm leaders involved in the recent stand off with the administration of Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner have soared in public opinion consideration according to the latest survey released this week in Buenos Aires by Giacobe and Associates.
