Brazil Central bank raised interest rates for the fifth straight time on Wednesday and gave no indication of backing off its battle with high inflation. The benchmark Selic interest rate now stands at 9.5%, up fifty basic points from 9%.
Annual inflation in Brazil reached its lowest level in nine months, but the country still shows signs it hasn't yet come to grips with persistently higher prices. Brazil's 12-month inflation reading continued to retreat, falling to 5.86% in September, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, or IBGE, said Wednesday.
President Barack Obama has nominated Federal Reserve Vice-Chair Janet Yellen to run the world's most influential central bank and urged the Senate to confirm her without delay. Yellen, an advocate for aggressive action to stimulate US economic growth through low interest rates and large-scale bond purchases, would replace Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, whose second term ends on January 31.
The Brazilian government National Trade Council, Camex, approved the contents of a proposed trade liberalization offer to be made by Brazil involving negotiations for a wide ranging cooperation and trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union.
Petrobras CEO Maria das Gracas Foster described as ‘simply exceptional’ the latest discovery of hydrocarbons off the coast of the north-eastern state of Sergipe on the Atlantic but declined to give further details of the prospect. Even when the Brazilian administration has abstained from making any announcement the Sergipe government has said “it is the largest oil discovery in the world this year”.
French energy giant Total signed on Tuesday a deal with Uruguay’s oil company Ancap to search for oil in the northern counties of Artigas and Salto in an area of 6.200 square kilometres.
Argentina’s growth has recovered because of an abundant crop but economic activity continues to be contained because of the exchange rate and other administrative controls, according to the IMF latest World Economic Outlook (WHE), Latam and Caribbean chapter released on Tuesday. The IMF statement refers to Argentina’s export duties and the so called ‘dollar clamp’ which bans even saving in US dollars.
The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday cut its economic growth forecast for Latin America and the Caribbean, blaming, at least in part, poor infrastructure and lower commodity prices. In its latest World Economic Outlook report, the IMF noted that emerging markets generally were facing a dampening of growth amid less supportive external conditions and domestic supply-side constraints.
The International Monetary Fund trimmed its forecasts for global output for the sixth time since early last year, saying stronger growth in most advanced economies would fail to make up for a more sluggish expansion in the developing world
Brazil's car output and sales dropped in September from August, adding to signs of economic weakness in the third quarter after a surprisingly good start to the year. Automobile production in Brazil dropped 2.5% and sales fell 5.9% in September from August, the national automakers' association Anfavea said