Brazil

• Tuesday, February 28th 2012 - 05:02 UTC

  Brazil will cut the benchmark interest rate “to less than 10%” this year

  

  Brazilian central bank survey showing interest rate levels are inconsistent with the country’s inflation target won’t alter policy makers’ strategy of lowering borrowing costs further, bank President Alexandre Tombini said.

• Tuesday, February 28th 2012 - 01:58 UTC

  Mercosur/Gulf states closer to trade agreement but leaving petrochemicals for later

  

  Brazil is eager to finalize a free trade agreement between the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) and the Mercosur bloc but believes the petrochemicals sector will be exempted until further study after the signing, said Brazilian Trade and Industry Minister Fernando Pimentel.

• Tuesday, February 28th 2012 - 00:27 UTC

  EC report on trade and investments criticizes Mercosur protectionism

  

  The European Commission in its latest report on trade and investments complains about Mercosur protectionist policies, restrictions to maritime transport and to the export of commodities particularly from Brazil and Argentina.

• Monday, February 27th 2012 - 19:56 UTC

  Repsol-Sinopec makes huge oil discovery off-shore Brazil: 250m boe

  

  Spain's Repsol and China's Sinopec have made an oil discovery offshore Brazil that could be one of the biggest so far in the area and that boosted confidence that across in Africa, Angola's deepwater reserves may be abundant too.

• Monday, February 27th 2012 - 04:33 UTC

  Tragedy in Antarctica: “much improvisation” and “a great lesson for Chile”

  

  The tragedy in the Antarctic King George Island involving the Brazilian base should be “a great lesson for Chile” and is evidence that research scientists and military personnel coexist in Antarctica under “improvised conditions”.

• Monday, February 27th 2012 - 04:29 UTC

  Blaze destroys Brazilian Antarctic base; two dead when generator room exploded

  

  A fire broke out at Brazil's research station in Antarctica on Saturday, killing two navy personnel and forcing the evacuation by helicopter of about 40 other people, the government said.

• Friday, February 24th 2012 - 20:38 UTC

  Uruguay admits textile exports could be infringing Brazil’s antidumping rules

  

  Uruguay’s Minister of Industry and Energy Roberto Kreimerman admitted that Brazil suspended the access of textiles from Uruguay alleging that they were essentially Chinese cloth rolls with minimum input but stamped as Uruguayan manufactured and dispatched to Brazil.

• Friday, February 24th 2012 - 07:30 UTC

  Brazil highways’ maintenance to the private sector on 10 year contracts

  

  After selling concessions for the expansion and operation of three major airports and a highway earlier in 2012, Brazil is preparing a plan to sell 10-year highway maintenance contracts without tolls, a newspaper said on Thursday.

• Wednesday, February 22nd 2012 - 17:33 UTC

  Brazil and Uruguay with the most expensive per capita Legislative branch

  

  Uruguay has the second most expensive per capita Legislative branch and also as a percentage of the government’s overall expenditure, although Uruguayan lawmakers earn half their best paid neighbours in Brazil, according to reports in the Montevideo press.

• Wednesday, February 22nd 2012 - 01:15 UTC

  Double medical check for MSC Armonia passengers and crew in Montevideo

  

  Passengers and crew from the Italian cruise vessel MSC Armonia had to undergo a medical check-up when they docked in Montevideo Tuesday morning following the death of a member of the crew who is believed to have caught a type of flu virus.