Economy

Tuesday, February 13th 2007 - 20:00 UTC
Shipowners order US$105.5B of new vessels in 2006

According to London-based Clarkson, the world's biggest shipbroker, shipowners ordered new vessels worth a record US$105.5 billion in 2006. The trend has been spurred by tanker owners keen to upgrade their fleets ahead of IMO single-hull tanker deadlines that kick in at the end of the decade, according to an article published by Gulf News.
Tuesday, February 13th 2007 - 20:00 UTC
Eurozone growth surprises all 2006 forecasts: 2.7%

Eurozone growth ended 2006 strongly, thanks to better-than-expected growth in Germany and recovery in Italy. Gross domestic product across the 13 countries that use the euro grew 0.9% between October and December, compared with the previous three months.
Monday, February 12th 2007 - 20:00 UTC
Venezuela may control food distribution

President Hugo Chavez's government has drafted a decree allowing it to take control of food distribution chains, possibly including supermarkets and storage depots, if services are interrupted, officials said Sunday.
Monday, February 12th 2007 - 20:00 UTC
Ecuador delays debt payment and readies for political battle

Ecuador's new administration of President Rafael Correa that has threatened to default on the country's debt, will use a 30-day grace period to make a payment that is due this week, Deputy Economy Minister Fausto Ortiz told reporters in Quito.
Monday, February 12th 2007 - 20:00 UTC
Asian fungi detected in Argentina soybean cultivation

Argentina detected the presence of dangerous Asian fungi in soybean cultivations in the province of Santa Fe the second oilseed producing area of the country, reported the Agriculture Health and Quality National Service, SENASA.
Monday, February 12th 2007 - 20:00 UTC
WTO praises Argentina but warns about inflation

Argentina has successfully emerged from one of the worst recessions in its history, and the economy has been growing at a fast pace since 2003, according to a World Trade Organization Secretariat report on the trade policies and practices of Argentina released this week.
Sunday, February 11th 2007 - 20:00 UTC
G 7 demand more exchange rate flexibility for China's Yuan

Finance ministers and bankers from the Group of Seven leading industrialized countries, G7, renewed pressure on China to relax controls over its currency. China promised more flexibility but gave no indication of time or percentages.
Saturday, February 10th 2007 - 20:00 UTC
Emerging markets diversity outpaces JP Morgan

JP Morgan's family of EMBI (Emerging Markets Bond Index) indexes, once seen as the most important measure of aversion to developing countries' risk, no longer expresses the diversity of fast-growing emerging markets, the bank admitted in a report
Friday, February 9th 2007 - 20:00 UTC
Bush administration pushes for FTA with Colombia and Peru

United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice this week requested from Congress the ratification of the Free Trade Agreements, FTA, which the White House has signed with Peru and Colombia.
Friday, February 9th 2007 - 20:00 UTC
Argentina's January basic food basket index up 2.95%

Argentina's basic food basket consumed by the average family jumped 2.59% last January over December, which is more than double the official consumer prices index for the first month of 2007.