Economy

• Wednesday, November 2nd 2011 - 20:35 UTC

  Germany/France lashes out at Papandreou and establish mid-December deadline

  

  Germany and France told Greece on Wednesday it should make up its mind by mid-December whether it wants to stay in the Euro zone when Greeks vote on a 130-billion-Euro bailout.

• Wednesday, November 2nd 2011 - 20:26 UTC

  “End of subsidies with no utility rates modifications” announces Argentina

  

  Economy Minister Amado Boudou and Planning Minister Julio de Vido announced Wednesday in a press briefing, a full lift on subsidies; a decision which will reach various public sectors, including electricity gas and water companies. The changes imply annual fiscal savings of 600 million pesos (140 million dollars).

• Wednesday, November 2nd 2011 - 18:08 UTC

  Federal Reserve in upbeat tone votes to maintain bond buying program

  

  The US Federal Reserve announced Wednesday after a two-day meeting to keep interest rates on hold and maintain its bond buying programs. The decision was entirely as expected by markets and economists.

• Wednesday, November 2nd 2011 - 04:44 UTC

  Brazil heading for another record trade surplus close to 30 billion dollars

  

  Brazil posted a trade surplus of 2.355 billion dollars in October, beating forecasts for a third straight month, outpacing imports in the final days of the month following a recovery in global commodities prices.

• Wednesday, November 2nd 2011 - 04:40 UTC

  Brazilian industrial production contracts the most in five months

  

  Brazilian industrial production fell more than expected in September, posting its steepest decline in five months and bolstering the central bank’s argument for more interest-rate cuts in Latin America’s largest economy.

• Wednesday, November 2nd 2011 - 04:20 UTC

  Argentine economy to expand 9% this year, says the Central Bank

  

  Argentina’s central bank estimates that the country’s economy will expand 9% in 2011, above the central government forecast of 8.3%, according to the latest quarterly report released this week.

• Wednesday, November 2nd 2011 - 03:53 UTC

  LAN and TAM move ahead with merger to be completed in early 2012

  

  Chilean flag-carrier LAN SA and Brazil's TAM SA have unveiled senior management changes as their plan to merge advances. The merger is expected to be completed in the first quarter, and will see the two airlines taken over by a new holding company, LATAM Airlines Group, the companies said in a statement.

• Tuesday, November 1st 2011 - 22:57 UTC

  Argentina among top world exporters of chicken meat, while beef loses clout

  

  Argentina is currently ranked among the world’s top six exporters of chicken meat (breast and legs) while in beef has dropped to position nine, according to the latest data from the US Department of Agriculture, USDA.

• Tuesday, November 1st 2011 - 22:18 UTC

  Paraguayan FMD outbreak in September was caused by “human negligence”

  

  Paraguay’s Livestock Service has confirmed that negligence in the handling of foot and mouth disease vaccines was the cause for the September FMD outbreak that forced the country to cease exports. The announcement discards doubts about the quality of the vaccines.

• Tuesday, November 1st 2011 - 21:12 UTC

  Latin America will demand at G20 summit greater voice for emerging economies

  

  The Latin American block arrives this week at the G20 summit in Cannes with a consensus spearheaded by the strong political standing of Brazil in global affairs and with criticisms to the way in which the European Union and the US are managing their respective “crises”.