Economy

• Saturday, August 18th 2012 - 06:00 UTC

  Conflicting reports on Argentine performance, but economy rapidly slowing

  

  Argentina's economic activity remained flat in June compared to a year ago, according to the latest release from the country’s questioned stats office, Indec. The EMAE economic activity index, a close proxy for GDP published on Friday showed a 1.1% expansion in June versus May and 2.5% in the first half of the year.

• Saturday, August 18th 2012 - 05:57 UTC

  Central bank announces first signs of Brazilian economy recovery

  

  Brazil's economy enjoys sound fundamentals for sustainable growth, with an economic expansion likely to pick up speed in the next few quarters, Central Bank President Alexandre Tombini said at a business conference Friday.

• Saturday, August 18th 2012 - 05:50 UTC

  China’s (and the world) leading bank authorized to operate in Brazil

  

  One of the world’s leading banks, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) has been authorised to operate in Brazil, indicates a Brazilian government decision published on Thursday in the official gazette.

• Saturday, August 18th 2012 - 05:45 UTC

  Euro zone June trade surplus was the highest since 1999

  

  The Euro zone trade surplus hit 14.9bn Euros in June up from 200m Euros a year ago. The surplus was the highest since the European Union's statistics agency began collecting data in 1999.

• Saturday, August 18th 2012 - 05:39 UTC

  First shipment of New Zealand lamb to Brazil, a market of “great potential”

  

  New Zealand's first branded lamb shipment to Brazil is scheduled to arrive at the port of Santos in the middle of next month and be available at 120 stores in Sao Paulo and to diners in restaurants and hotels throughout the country.

• Saturday, August 18th 2012 - 02:37 UTC

  In nine years of “Kirchner era” Argentina honoured 32 billion dollars in debts

  

  Argentina’s Central bank confirmed that during the “Kirchner era” the country paid 32 billion dollars in pending debts, “the centre piece of the policy to recover sovereignty by cutting indebtedness” and praised the decision to appeal to the bank’s international reserves to support such a policy.

• Friday, August 17th 2012 - 17:34 UTC

  Brazilian new middle class pay their bills and like to keep their names clean

  

  Brazil National Confederation of Store Managers, CNLD, and the Credit Protection Service, SPC, report that payment delinquency was down 5.6% in July. At the same time the two organizations revealed that over the last five years indebtedness in Brazil has risen 20% annually.

• Friday, August 17th 2012 - 07:02 UTC

  Falklands’ Desire updates oil potential of promising Elaine and Isobel prospects

  

  The AIM traded company Desire Petroleum said on Thursday it will seek industry partners to participate in the further exploration of the North Falkland basin based on the quality of its maturing prospect inventory.

• Friday, August 17th 2012 - 06:31 UTC

  US company wants to make 3D bio-ink printed meat for human consumption

  

  A US start-up company has a solution for people who want to eat meat, but don't want to harm animals either: 3D printed meat. The 3D printing technique is already being used to create things from bike parts to chocolate to dental crowns and bridges. And scientists are working towards using 3D printing to make organs for transplant.

• Friday, August 17th 2012 - 00:11 UTC

  Latam business climate index at 9 months low, approaching “risk of recession”

  

  Latinamerica business climate dropped to its lowest level in nine months with “risk of recession” according to the index elaborated by the Economics Department from the prestigious Brazilian Getulio Vargas Foundation, FGV.