Brazil's Petrobras sold its stake in a Bolivian natural gas pipeline operator, continuing a string of asset sales aimed at generating cash for development of offshore oil fields at home. The Brazilian giant said it sold its 44.5% stake in Transierra to Bolivian state-owned YPFB for 106.7 million dollars.
Brazil's agricultural competitiveness is a concern to countries and trade blocks negotiating agreements with Brazil, according to ambassador Paulo Estivallet de Mesquita, head of the Economics Department of the country's Ministry of Foreign Relations (MRE).
Second quarter profits for Brazil's Petrobras dropped 20% compared to the same period one year earlier, the state-run oil giant said. Petrobras recorded profits of 4.96 billion Reais (about 2.22 billion dollars) in the quarter, compared to 6.2 billion Reais (nearly 3 billion) for the same period in 2013.
Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff admitted on Monday the government could increase domestic fuel prices at refineries by up to 6% after the October presidential election. The increase of 5.5% and 6% is a preliminary calculation and is geared to help prop the finances of the government managed oil and gas giant Petrobras.
Newly-discovered documents suggest big international companies aided Brazil’s military regime in its war against ‘subversives’ and union activists. Academics and human rights activists have long believed that local and multinational companies helped Brazil’s military regime in their crackdown on “subversives.”
Brazilian oil output reached a record 2.246 million barrels per day (bpd) in June and exceeded the previous record of 2.231 million bpd in January 2012, the National Agency of Petroleum (ANP) reported. Output is up 2.6% from May 2014 and 6.9% June on June.
Brazil's Broad Consumer Price Index (IPCA) ended July at 0.01%, the Brazilian Geography and Statistics Institute (IBGE) reported. This figure reflects a decrease compared to June (0.4%) with transport and personal expenses items, contributing for the reduction.
Brazil confirmed that it will try to bring forward to 2016 the free trade agreement with Chile, Peru and Colombia, scheduled for 2019 and underlined the need for Mercosur and the Pacific Alliance to converge as part of the region's productive integration process.
Auto production in Brazil during July dropped 20.5% from a year earlier, national automakers' association Anfavea said on Wednesday, while sales slid 13.9%. Compared to June, production rose 17% and sales 11.8%, as July had an additional two working days.
Brazil is far from stagflation, central bank chief Alexandre Tombini said on Tuesday, forecasting the economy will pick up speed and inflation will ease in coming months. In similar terms Economy minister Guido Mantega said the economy should pick up in the second half of the year after a slow start and hit more reasonable growth levels in 2015.