Brazil

• Thursday, May 14th 2009 - 12:17 UTC

  Leading beef corporation upbeat about rebound of market

  

  JBS SA, from Brazil the world’s largest beef producer, said it aims to also become the largest distributor of the meat by the end of next year and has been approached by companies seeking to be acquired.

• Wednesday, May 13th 2009 - 15:46 UTC

  Brazil’s finance guru anticipates 4% GDP expansion in 2010

  

  Brazil’s GDP should expand 4% in 2010 but the performance of the economy in the first quarters of 2009 will be dismal, in the range of zero growth or even below, said economist Delfim Netto.

• Monday, May 11th 2009 - 09:01 UTC

  Record floods and drought in “complicated” Brazil

  

  Forty four deaths had been confirmed in northern Brazil's worst flooding in decades, fed by two months of unusually heavy rains in a zone stretching from deep in the Amazon to normally arid areas near the Atlantic coast. In spite of a gradual Sunday retreat of water in some areas the number of homeless climbed to 300.000

• Monday, May 11th 2009 - 08:05 UTC

  Itaipu new deal between Brazil and Paraguay still difficult and distant

  

  Paraguay’s chances of a better deal from Brazil regarding the Itaipu Hydroelectric dam surplus power and its price are seen as “difficult” particularly because Brazil is approaching an electoral year, according to Asuncion press reports from journalists who accompanied President Fernando Lugo in his visit to Brasilia.

• Monday, May 11th 2009 - 07:42 UTC

  North Korean Foreign Affairs minister arrives in Brazil

  

  North Korea’s Foreign Affairs minister Pak Ui-Chun arrived Sunday in Brazil to meet with his counterpart Celso Amorim, according to a release from the Brazilian ministry. Brazil and North Korea established formal diplomatic relation in 2001.

• Saturday, May 9th 2009 - 07:24 UTC

  Brazil and Paraguay could only agree on a new summit in June

  

  Brazil and Paraguay failed to come to an agreement on proposed renegotiation of accords related to the Itaipu hydroelectric facility and are scheduled to meet again in early June, according to Paraguay’s Executive spokesperson Ruben Penayo.

• Saturday, May 9th 2009 - 06:34 UTC

  April car sales in Brazil fall 13.7% from the previous month

  

  Automobile sales in Brazil fell 13.7% in April from the previous month as consumer demand waned after four straight months of gains, the national automakers' association Anfavea said on Friday. Sales also fell 10.3% from April 2008 to 234.400 and automobile output dropped 6.9% month-on-month in April and was down 15.8% from a year earlier to 254.700 units.

• Friday, May 8th 2009 - 10:25 UTC

  Brazil central bankers see margin to further cut interest rates

  

  Brazilian central bank policy makers said the global economic slump may favour the ongoing reduction of interest rates without jeopardizing the inflation target, according to the minutes of the April 28-29 monetary policy meeting posted on the bank’s Web site.

• Friday, May 8th 2009 - 04:34 UTC

  Brazilian and Argentine manufacturers reach markets agreement

  

  Brazilian and Argentine manufacturers reach a tentative understanding to privilege the two countries markets and exports which should help overcome the ongoing trade dispute among Mercosur main partners.

• Thursday, May 7th 2009 - 08:41 UTC

  Uruguay/Brazil will operate in local currencies to ensure bilateral trade

  

  Uruguay and Brazil expect to have bilateral trade operations in their respective local currencies in place in a few months time, according to the Uruguayan Central Bank. The system is similar to that implemented between Brazil and Argentina and which is beginning to be operational.