Bolivian President Evo Morales renewed his pledge to nationalize his country's mining industry, saying he would complete the task this year.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced this week that Chile has been elevated from its Watch List to its Priority Watch List for alleged failure to comply with U.S. standards for intellectual property rights protection. The USTR cited the software and pharmaceutical industries in Chile as presenting the greatest threats to American business interests.
Oil plunged Thursday to its lowest level price since May 2005, below 52 US dollars a barrel, following the continued steep rise in heating oil stocks in United States and a resumption of crude pumping top Europe by Russia.