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Chile resumes overseas investing; Divorces overtake marriages in Uruguay; Punta Arenas prefers Argentine doctors; Antarctic tourism booming; Shanghai second port in the world.

Chile resumes overseas investing

Chilean overseas investments reached 1,5 billion US dollars in 2004, three times the 2003 figure reverting the decreasing tendency of the last eight years, according to a report from Santiago's Chamber of Commerce. The strong recovery of the Latinamerican economy, following years of recession, and where most of Chilean investment is directed helped change the situation. "The favourable tendency change last year was spurred mainly by the encouraging international economic scenario, including the domestic market, but particularly in those countries which receive Chilean investments, Argentina and Brazil", reads the Chamber of Commerce report. The international improvement plus lower costs and better financial conditions for Chilean companies have once again accelerated investment plans overseas. Most investments (44%) concentrated in Argentina followed by Peru, 14%, United States 10% and Brazil 6%. As to the different sectors commerce and retailing represented a third of total 2004 investments with the purchase of Disco supermarkets involving 535 million US dollars. Energy followed with 25% (392 million US dollars) and further back industry and forestry with 15% and 10%. Most of Chilean investment, 41%, went to the purchase of assets; 20% to establishing Chilean companies overseas and 15% expanding existing capacity.

Divorces overtake marriages in Uruguay.

For the first time ever the number of divorces last year in Uruguay was greater than marriages confirming the sustained tendency of the nineties. According to the statistics released by the Uruguayan Civil Registrar in 2004 the number of marriages reached 14,225 but legal separations jumped to 14,300. The growing number of divorces which during the early nineties had averaged 6,000 annually coincided with the approval of recent legislation speeding procedures to legalize separation. Two recognized witnesses who endorse that the couple have been separated for over three years, each espouse doing their own independent life, with or without another partner, is enough for the Civil Registrar to make the divorce legal. Contrary to the rest of South America, divorce is legal in Uruguay since 1908 and is not a controversial issue. Some Uruguayan sociologists attribute the high number of separations to the deep recession which began in 1998 and extended well into 2003, including a banking crisis when the country lost over half of its deposits. "If Uruguay can confirm its current economic recovery, marriages should once again overtake divorces", explained Cesar Baroffio head of the Civil Registrar. "A logic figure of marriages per year should be in the range of 20,000 with divorces remaining at 13,000/14,000".

Punta Arenas prefers Argentine doctors

Besides tourism and shopping Argentina has also become attractive for Punta Arenas residents because of its medical attention. Cheaper fees plus greater appointment availability and flexibility are among the reasons for crossing the border according to patients interviewed by Punta Arenas press. An appointment with an Argentine doctor in Rio Turbio or Rio Gallegos costs the equivalent of 5 to 6 US dollars. A consulting specialist such as an ophthalmologist could reach 10 to 15 US dollars?and Argentine doctors accept Chilean money. Not a bad bargain.

Antarctic tourism booming.

Antarctic tourism is booming and according to the Tierra del Fuego Tourism Institute some 25,000 visitors will be travelling from Ushuaia to the roaring southern seas this season. This is a considerable increase from the 15,000 visitors of the 2002 season, and 3,000 more than last year. The Tierra del Fuego Tourism Office also reports that the number of cruise vessels calling in Ushuaia this season will reach 45, five more than last year. The biggest concentration of cruise vessels will take place between February 14 and 18, when a total of eight ships will be moored in Ushuaia.

Shanghai second port in the world.

Shanghai in east China became last year the second most active port in the world having handled in 2004 a total of 370 million tons of merchandise, reports the local press. Rotterdam was until last year the world's second but has now dropped to third place behind Shanghai and Singapore that again was the leading cargo terminal with 388 million tons. Shanghai was also in 2004 the third most active container port of the world behind Hong Kong and Singapore with a total 14,55 million units (29% over 2003), which anyhow made it China's most important, ahead of Shenzhen in Canton. Shanghai handled last year 15% of all of China's port cargo. But Shanghai keeps expanding and towards the end of this year is scheduled the inauguration of the world's largest container terminal with an additional ten kilometres of port capacity and 52 deep sea mooring berths. When the Yangshan terminal is opened vessels with up to 8,000 containers will be operating, when the number for a normal vessel in shallow waters is 3,000 containers, said Yu Peixing, head of the Shanghai Municipal Port Administration Agency. China's other first league ports include Ningbo, canton, Hong Kong and Tianjin.