Argentina

• Friday, March 14th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine grain, beef farmers extend protest; diary joins

  Argentine farmers protesting higher grain and oilseeds export taxes have decided to extend their two days strike until next Wednesday because there has been “no signals or reply from the government” to their request to meeting authorities. Dairy farmers announced they were joining the strike.

• Thursday, March 13th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Fifth year running Argentine economy grows above 8%

  

  Argentina's GDP expanded 8.7% in 2007, after having grown 9.1% in the fourth quarter, up 1.9% from the previous quarter announced Thursday in Buenos Aires the country's Statistics and Census Office, Indec.

• Thursday, March 13th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Taiana's number two resigns over illegal car imports scandal

  

  Argentina's ambassador in Italy Victorio Taccetti has been named Deputy Foreign Affairs minister to replace Roberto Garcia Moritán who resigned amid a growing scandal over illegal car imports. Minister Jorge Taiana's number two insisted his resignation was for “personal reasons”.

• Wednesday, March 12th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina: grain and oilseeds export levies become permanent

  

  Argentina hiked export taxes on soy and sunflower seed products by between seven and nine percentage points and decreased levies on corn and wheat exports by one point to expand supplies of key food staples in the domestic market.

• Wednesday, March 12th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina insists Malvinas next of kin fly to the Falklands

  

  Argentina promised on Tuesday to insist before the United Kingdom so that the (1982) Malvinas conflict families can travel to the Falklands by air for the opening of the Argentine monument at the Darwin cemetery.

• Wednesday, March 12th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina camp fury: no grain or beef trading for 48 hours

  

  Argentina's four main farmers' organizations have called for two days of non activity with no trading of agricultural products to protest the latest increase in cereals and oilseeds export levies. This means urban Argentina on Thursday and Friday will be exposed to limited supplies of beef and other produce.

• Wednesday, March 12th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Yellow fever: first possible death reported in Argentina

  

  A logger is suspected to be the first fatal case of yellow fever in Argentina since the 2007 outbreak in neighboring Paraguay. The man, 39, together with a crew was logging in the northern province of Misiones and according to local sanitary officials had all the symptoms of the mosquito transmitted viral disease.

• Tuesday, March 11th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Exxon has no intention of selling assets in Argentina

  Exxon Mobil Corp. said Monday it has no intention of selling its Esso unit refinery, service stations or other assets in Argentina, ending months of speculation about unsolicited purchase offers. Esso has operated in Argentina for more than ninety years.

• Tuesday, March 11th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina hikes gas export tax to ensure domestic demand

  Argentina will raise taxes on the country's natural gas exports in an effort to ensure domestic energy supplies, Planning Minister Julio De Vido said on Monday. The amount of the increase was not immediately disclosed but the move hiked taxes already in place on Argentine natural gas exports.

• Tuesday, March 11th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine mining industry angry with change of rules

  

  Argentina's mineral exports in 2007 fell 9.6% on the year in terms of volume but rose 22.2% in terms of value, according to a report from IES Consultores published in the Buenos Aires press. Exports last year were valued at 2.8 billion US dollars, with copper making up 62.6% of shipments, IES said.