Economy

• Saturday, December 29th 2012 - 06:21 UTC

  Brazil names a candidate for the WTO Director General post

  

  Brazil on Friday named its World Trade Organization envoy Roberto Azevedo to succeed Pascal Lamy as head of the Geneva-based trade oversight body. Brazil's ambassador to the WTO since 2008, Azevedo has been tackling the country's cotton subsidy dispute with the United States.

• Saturday, December 29th 2012 - 06:19 UTC

  Brazil central bank injects more liquidity by lowering reserve requirements

  

  Brazil's central bank announced it would cut reserve requirements on demand deposits under specific conditions to free up around 15 billion Reais (7.3 billion dollars) for lending in a move aimed at boosting investment in the stagnating economy.

• Saturday, December 29th 2012 - 04:07 UTC

  Uruguay raises basic rate to 9.25%: “inflation the key risk of the economy”

  

  Uruguay’s Central bank raised its benchmark interest rate on Friday for the second time this year as policy makers struggle to bring inflation into the government’s target range. The IMF and local economists have warned about the need to “tackle inflation”, particularly since the budget’s fiscal deficit has soared in just twelve months from 0.4% of GDP to over 3% of GDP.

• Friday, December 28th 2012 - 08:08 UTC

  Defaulted bonds: Argentina makes its case before the New York Appeals court

  

  Argentina will be making a presentation before the US Court of Appeals for the second circuit, in Manhattan on Friday regarding Federal Judge Thomas Griesa recent ruling that Argentine defaulted bondholders must be paid simultaneously with those who accepted the restructured bonds.

• Thursday, December 27th 2012 - 06:01 UTC

  Xmas rainstorms and soggy soil delaying soy and corn planting in Argentina

  

  Christmas rainstorms across Argentina further delayed soy and corn planting, keeping markets guessing about whether the grains powerhouse can produce enough this season to help bring high-flying global food prices down to earth.

• Thursday, December 27th 2012 - 05:49 UTC

  China’s Industrial and Commercial bank, authorized to open a branch in Brazil

  

  The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd, the world's largest lender by market value, got the green light from Brazilian regulators to operate a subsidiary in the Latin America's largest economy, the lender said on Wednesday. Brazil's central bank approved the license on Dec 19.

• Thursday, December 27th 2012 - 02:52 UTC

  Brazil raises minimum wage and lowers taxes on share earnings

  

  Brazil's government announced on Monday it would raise the statutory monthly minimum wage by an above-inflation 9% to 678 Reais (330 US dollars) a month, a rise that comes at the end of a year of tepid economic growth.

• Wednesday, December 26th 2012 - 07:30 UTC

  Good year ahead for Mexico while investors feel frustrated with ‘Brazil cost’

  

  Brazil and Mexico, Latin America’s two largest economies could be facing a 2013 of contrasting performance and prospects. Brazil has been hit by weakening Chinese demand for commodities, while rival Mexico, the new darling of foreign investors, is posting increasingly strong growth. The figures speak for themselves.

• Wednesday, December 26th 2012 - 07:25 UTC

  Brazil warns countries that have banned imports of beef because of atypical BSE

  

  The world’s top beef exporter, Brazil, will give countries that curbed imports of its beef after a case of mad cow disease until March to drop the measures or it will file a complaint at the World Trade Organization, farm ministry officials said.

• Wednesday, December 26th 2012 - 07:17 UTC

  Fuel-price controls force Brazil to import 12bn dollars in oil and refined products

  

  Brazil faces record trade deficits in petroleum products in 2012 and 2013 as a result of government fuel-price controls, problems with its refining system and rising consumer demand, the Folha de S. Paulo newspaper reported last weekend.