Stories for March 2016

Thursday, March 3rd 2016 - 05:27 UTC
Petrobras loses tax case; discussing sale of assets in Argentina to Pampa Energia

Brazil's state-run oil company Petrobras may be forced to pay 7.3 billion Reais (US$1.9 billion) in back taxes and fines after a decision by the country's tax authority Carf, newspaper Valor Economico reported on Wednesday.
Thursday, March 3rd 2016 - 05:22 UTC
Brazil will allow foreign companies to hold a 49% stake in the country's airlines

The government of President Dilma Rousseff has raised from 20% to 49% the maximum stake that foreign companies can hold in Brazilian airlines, according to an executive order signed by the president and published on Wednesday in the Diario Oficial, Official Gazette
Thursday, March 3rd 2016 - 05:11 UTC
EU top official expected in Argentina to bolster Mercosur/EU trade negotiations

Argentine president Mauricio Macri is scheduled to receive in a week's time the European Union head of foreign affairs, Federica Mogherini who is expected to announce that all is ready to begin, next April, formal negotiations for the long-delayed trade and cooperation agreement between Mercosur and the EU.
Thursday, March 3rd 2016 - 05:03 UTC
Brazil leaves key interest rate unchanged at 14.25% for the fifth time running

Brazil's central bank kept interest rates on hold on Wednesday as widely expected, opting to avoid inflicting more harm on an economy mired in its worst recession in decades despite a surge in inflation. In a split vote, the bank's monetary policy committee, Copom, kept its benchmark Selic rate at 14.25% for the fifth straight time.
Thursday, March 3rd 2016 - 04:57 UTC
Griesa lifts injunctions: 'Argentina needs time to raise money to pay creditors'

A judge sided with Argentina in its debt standoff on Wednesday, agreeing to let orders protecting creditors expire so that large U.S. hedge funds and smaller entities and people can be paid at least US$6.2 billion to satisfy settlements reached over the last month.
Thursday, March 3rd 2016 - 04:47 UTC
Republicans work out strategy to stop Trump in Ohio and Florida primaries

Following on Donald Trump's sweeping win on “super-Tuesday” Republican strategists are planning support for Ohio governor John Kasich so he can take his state presidential primary on 15 March and similarly with hopeful Senator Marco Rubio in his home state of Florida.
Wednesday, March 2nd 2016 - 23:46 UTC
Trump tsunami: Republican hedge fund billionaire Paul Singer to become Rubio's finance chairman

Paul Singer, the influential hedge fund billionaire from New York who endorsed Marco Rubio in October, is set to be named as his national finance chairman according to various US press reports. Singer is well known in Argentina for bringing a lawsuit against the government in the holdouts dispute.
Wednesday, March 2nd 2016 - 23:26 UTC
UN watchdog blasts Ban Ki-moon blessing of Syria and Venezuela as C24 members

A UN watchdog group criticized Ban Ki-moon for his blessings to the UN committee charged with “decolonizing” among others, the Falkland Islands and Gibraltar, at the same time as the 24-nation group elected mass murdering Syria and human rights abusing Venezuela to leadership posts.
Wednesday, March 2nd 2016 - 22:43 UTC
US becomes a net natural gas exporter for a week with a shipment to Brazil

United States turned into a net natural gas exporter for a week after the first liquefied natural gas export from Cheniere Energy Inc's Sabine Pass terminal in Louisiana left for Brazil. The United States however is not expected to become a net exporter of gas on an annual basis until 2017 after more pipelines to Mexico and LNG export terminals enter service, according to federal energy estimates.
Wednesday, March 2nd 2016 - 22:39 UTC
Brazil posts trade surplus in February, as imports plummet with a weak Real

Brazil posted a $3.04 billion trade surplus in February, the Trade Ministry said on Tuesday. Brazil exported $13.3 billion last month and had imports of $10.3 billion.Analysts are expecting a $40 billion trade surplus for 2016, according to a central bank survey released Monday.