Economy

• Monday, March 5th 2012 - 19:54 UTC

  Russia bans European cattle and hog imports because of Schmallenberg virus

  

  Russia will ban shipments of Europe's cattle and hogs from March 20 due to an outbreak of the Schmallenberg virus, which causes birth deformities, said the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance, the country's food-safety watchdog.

• Monday, March 5th 2012 - 19:40 UTC

  Historic year for US beef exports in volume and value and first surplus since 2003

  

  Last year was historic for United States beef exports in both volume and value terms, according to a report from the South Dakota University and released by Drovers Cattle Network.

• Monday, March 5th 2012 - 19:32 UTC

  Spanish unemployment keeps rising; dispute with the EC over the deficit target

  

  The number of people claiming unemployment benefit in Spain rose by 112.269 in January, taking the overall figure to 4.7 million. Spain’s unemployment rate stands at 22.9%, the highest in the 17-nation Euro-zone.

• Monday, March 5th 2012 - 19:09 UTC

  Taiwan reluctantly accepts US beef imports with “safe level” of ractopamine

  

  The Taiwanese Executive was leaning toward conditionally lifting a ban on the import of US beef that has been grown with a leanness-enhancing drug banned in Taiwan, the government said Monday.

• Monday, March 5th 2012 - 06:10 UTC

  Mercosur countries to agree on a common protocol for vessels from the Falklands

  

  Mercosur country members are scheduled to hold a meeting in Rio do Janeiro to agree on a common protocol for all vessels originating in the Falkland Islands and calling at regional ports, announced Uruguay’s Defence minister Eleuterio Fernandez Huidobro.

• Monday, March 5th 2012 - 05:56 UTC

  Inter American bank does not trust Argentine official stats, uses private estimates

  

  Argentina must solve the controversy over the measurement of inflation which has significant economic and political costs, said Eugenio Diaz-Bonilla the Inter American Development Bank, IADB, director for Argentina and Haiti.

• Monday, March 5th 2012 - 05:50 UTC

  Uruguayan economy forecasted to expand 4% to 4.5%; inflation main challenge

  

  Uruguay's economy is poised to expand 4% to 4.5% this year, a moderate slowdown from the growth of just over 6% seen in 2011, the president of the central bank Mario Bergara told reporters during an IMF conference held in Punta del Este.

• Saturday, March 3rd 2012 - 04:47 UTC

  Cristina Fernandez preparing legal framework to ‘raid’ Central bank reserves

  

  Argentine President Cristina Fernandez sent a bill to Congress on Thursday aimed at helping the government tap more central bank reserves to help repay foreign debt and defend the country's currency.

• Friday, March 2nd 2012 - 07:21 UTC

  Argentine January exports of fish-shellfish down 13.2% in volume

  

  Argentina exported 24.479 tons of fish and shellfish valued at 81.4 million dollars in January 2012, according to the latest statistics from the National Health and Agri-food Quality Service, Senasa. This represents a fall of 13.2% in volume and 5.6% in value compared with the same month last year, 28.198 tons and 86.2 million dollars.

• Friday, March 2nd 2012 - 05:55 UTC

  Brazil claims rich countries “tsunami” of cheap money triggers “currency war”

  

  Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff slammed rich nations on Thursday for unleashing a “tsunami” of cheap money that was “cannibalizing” poorer countries such as her own, forcing them to act to protect struggling local industries.