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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, December 22nd 2024 - 09:33 UTC

Stories for December 2013

  • Friday, December 13th 2013 - 09:04 UTC

    Mexico breaks 75-year myth: opens energy sector to private and foreign investment

    There were scuffles during the all night debate but the bill was finally by an overwhelming majority vote

    Mexico's Congress approved on Thursday early morning a historic energy reform aimed at luring foreign investment and ending the state's 75-year-old oil monopoly following a heated debate. After a marathon session that lasted nearly 24 hours, the lower house voted 353 to 134 for the legislation championed by President Enrique Peña Nieto, one day after it passed the Senate.

  • Friday, December 13th 2013 - 09:01 UTC

    Congress and White House agree on budget bill which should end clashes

    “An important moment of bipartisan cooperation and shows Washington can and should stop governing by crisis”, said the White House

    The US House of Representatives has approved a two-year federal budget bill in a strong showing of cross-party support, further avoiding the specter of another government shutdown. The measure, written by the Republican and Democratic heads of the House and Senate budget committees respectively, was approved by a 332-94 vote.

  • Friday, December 13th 2013 - 08:59 UTC

    Abundance of cereals, 6% ahead of the 2011 record, says FAO latest forecast

    Larger supplies and lower prices are expected to boost feed use of cereals in 2013/14, especially of maize

    FAO’s latest forecast for world cereal production in 2013 has been revised upward marginally (2 million tons) since November to a new high of almost 2 500 million tons (including rice in milled terms), 8.4% more than last year and some 6% above the previous record in 2011. The latest revision mostly reflects adjustments to maize output estimates in the United States, the Russian Federation and Ukraine, which had become firmer towards the completion of the harvests.

  • Friday, December 13th 2013 - 08:52 UTC

    FAO food price index in November unchanged: dairy up 23% over a year ago

    Demand for milk powder, especially from China, remained strong and processors focused on this product rather than on butter and cheese.

    The FAO Food Price Index averaged 206.3 points in November 2013, almost unchanged from the revised value of 206.6 points in October, but 9.5 points (4.4%) below its November 2012 value. A sharp decline in sugar prices last month nearly offset the rise in oils. Cereals averaged slightly lower but meat and dairy values were stable.

  • Friday, December 13th 2013 - 08:47 UTC

    Keeping up with inflation in Argentina: after calming police, who's next in the queue

    Widespread looting in most of the provinces where police protested in demand of higher salaries

    Police protests and widespread looting in 19 of the 24 Argentine provinces has, in a few weeks, shattered expectations about the new cabinet of President Cristina Fernandez and a stabilization of the economy, since as can be anticipated government employees and unions will be demanding similar conditions as their blue uniformed colleagues to keep up to date with inflation, running at an annualized 26% according to the November reading.

  • Thursday, December 12th 2013 - 22:24 UTC

    Falklands oil industry teams up with Scotland's oil service business sector

    The second Falklink event took place in Aberdeen and was supported by Scottish Enterprise (Pic. File)

    A successful and well attended conference took place at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre on the 4th December 2013 to open up business links between the Falkland Islands and Scotland’s oil service business sector. This event was the second of the two planned events from the project known as FalkLink.

  • Thursday, December 12th 2013 - 21:16 UTC

    Foreign Office updates Parliament on major UK/Overseas Territories conference

    Minister Simmonds chaired the OTs Joint Ministerial Council meeting in London

    The commitment of the governments of the Overseas Territories and the UK to continue to work together in partnership was underlined by Foreign Office minister Mark Simmonds MP when he updated Parliament on the outcome of this year’s Joint Ministerial Council, which was attended by leaders from eleven OTs including the Falkland Islands.

  • Thursday, December 12th 2013 - 06:54 UTC

    EU admits difficulties and requests Mercosur to delay the exchange of tariff proposals

    Brazil's Foreign minister Figureido received the formal request during last week's WTO discussions in Bali

    The European Union has formally requested that the exchange of tariff proposals with Mercosur for the creation of a cooperation and free trade zone, originally scheduled for next week, be delayed until 2014. The message was received by the Brazilian delegation at the recent WTO Bali discussions.

  • Thursday, December 12th 2013 - 06:47 UTC

    Brazil expects a 90 million tons soybean crop, making it the world's top producer

    If forecasts prove right, soybean production would increase 10.5% over 2012/13

    Brazil's government food supply agency Conab forecast record soybean output of 90.03 million tons, near the top of its previous forecast of 87.9 million to 90.2 million tons, as farmers finish planting new fields.

  • Thursday, December 12th 2013 - 06:39 UTC

    London conference on Pacific Alliance; UK granted observer status

    British Minister for Latin America, Hugo Swire wants closer relations with the Alliance

    Over 150 representatives of British companies and businesses attended the conference on the Pacific Alliance (Chile, Peru, Colombia and Mexico) organized by the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office and the Financial Times. The Alliance is considered one of the newest and most promising political and economic blocks is emerging from Latin America.