
US ratings agency Moody's said that Argentina's debt-swap is unlikely to improve the liquidity profile for corporate issuers even when the highest-rated companies will be able to tap international debt markets and lengthen their debt maturity profiles.

The traditional rivalry between Chile and Argentina is likely to be turned up a notch with the news that Chile could be soon challenging its meat-famous neighbour with the quality of its beef.

The Netherlands is planning to exchange fiscal data in future with Uruguay, Mauritius and Brunei, reports the Dutch press.

China must create more channels for investors and companies to use the Yuan if it wants to internationalize the currency and put it on a par with the Yen and the Euro, central bank officials and economists told a forum in Shanghai.

New Zealand Farming Systems Uruguay needs to raise about 60 million US dollars to complete the development of the company, says Chairman John Parker. The company was set up to develop dairy-farm operations in Uruguay and floated on the NZX in 2007.

Honda plans to start manufacturing automobiles in Argentina next year, when the Japanese automaker’s plant in Campana, a city on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, opens, the press reported, citing company executives.

Germany's Chancellor has insisted that Europe's leaders are making good progress in talks with the US about how to bolster fragile economic growth. Angela Merkel told journalists at the G8 summit in Canada there was mutual understanding with President Obama over deficit reduction plans. Leaders are attending summits of the G8 and G20 groups of leading states.

Argentina's economy grew at its fastest pace in nearly two years in April, expanding 9.7% percent from a year earlier, the government announced on Friday. Increased consumer spending and demand for Argentina industrial products, particularly automobiles, from Mercosur partner Brazil helped to boost the economy.

Nobel laureate Paul Krugman said China’s pledge to make the Yuan more flexible was an “exercise in bad faith” intended to fend off international pressure for a stronger currency at this week’s Group of 20 leaders’ summit.

Top Chinese financial officials defended the country’s current economic policy and stated there was no need for a major appreciation of the currency or an increase in interest rates since inflation was declining.