Brazil

• Saturday, January 19th 2019 - 09:36 UTC

  Brazil plans a self-monitoring system for food processors, despite a non-encouraging record

  

  Brazil is moving toward a self-monitoring system for food processors, Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina Dias said on Friday, including meatpackers still recovering from an inspection scandal that hurt trade with key markets. Dias said in an interview that Brazil's new business-friendly government plans to send draft legislation on self-monitoring to Congress in the first half of this year.

• Saturday, January 19th 2019 - 09:28 UTC

  Brazilian lawmakers trip to China triggers strong controversy among Bolsonaro's bunker

  

  A trip to China by lawmakers from Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's party has stirred anger in the far-right leader's entourage, partly because of his wariness of the Asian power but also because of the group's stated mission. The delegation of eight members of Bolsonaro's ultraconservative Social Liberal Party (PSL) said it was on the visit to check out Chinese facial-recognition technology, with a view to it maybe being used in Brazil to combat crime.

• Saturday, January 19th 2019 - 09:22 UTC

  Extreme wet January displaces thousands and floods farmland in Mercosur member countries

  

  Intense rainfall in northeast Argentina and neighbouring areas in Mercosur members has caused devastating floods, amplifying the economic burdens of Argentina's recession. Over 5,000 people have evacuated the region, and millions of hectares of crops have been sent underwater.

• Friday, January 18th 2019 - 10:19 UTC

  Doubts about Brazil's real soybean production estimate because of adverse weather

  

  Analysts are casting doubt on the Brazilian government’s soybean production estimate. Conab, the government’s food supply and statistics agency, recently issued a forecast for 118.8 million tons of production, only slightly smaller than last year’s record 119.4 million tons.

• Friday, January 18th 2019 - 09:30 UTC

  Brazilian government meets Venezuelan opposition leaders to discuss Maduro's “illegitimacy”

  

  Brazilian and US officials met Venezuelan opposition leaders in Brasilia on Thursday to discuss the political crisis in the oil-rich country ruled by president Nicolas Maduro, Brazil's foreign ministry reported.

• Thursday, January 17th 2019 - 10:10 UTC

  Petrobras allowed to sell 90% stake in gas pipeline unit, estimated at US$ 7bn

  

  Brazil’s solicitor general has overturned one injunction that prevented state-controlled oil company Petrobras from proceeding with one of its largest divestitures, the government said in a statement.

• Thursday, January 17th 2019 - 10:05 UTC

  Petrobras averaged 2.63 MMboed last year, targets 2.8 MMboed for 2019

  

  Petrobras reports that in 2018, its total production of oil and gas, including natural gas liquids (NGL), was 2.63 MMboed, of which 2.53 MMboed produced in Brazil and 101,000 boed abroad. Petrobras’ own production of oil in Brazil was 2.03 MMbpd.

• Thursday, January 17th 2019 - 09:53 UTC

  Brazil plans to eliminate visitor visas for US citizens to promote tourism

  

  Brazil plans to eliminate visitor visas for Americans, the country's tourism minister said on Wednesday, as President Jair Bolsonaro seeks to turn around the lagging tourism sector and engineer cosier relations with the United States.

• Thursday, January 17th 2019 - 09:50 UTC

  Brazilian supermodel rejects criticism from agriculture minister

  

  Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen on Wednesday rejected critiques by the country's farm minister that questioned her knowledge about Brazil's conservation efforts.

• Thursday, January 17th 2019 - 07:42 UTC

  Bolsonaro and Macri agree to “review and perfect” Mercosur, and advance trade talks with EU

  

  Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro and Argentina’s president Mauricio Macri said they agreed to continue integrating their economies (number one and two in South America), as strategic partners, by “perfecting” the Mercosur trade block and pressing ahead with negotiations that are already underway, such as the ongoing free trade and cooperation agreement with the European Union.