Argentina's chainsaw policies with a US dollar so low that everything is expensive nationwide are beginning to take its toll on the local industry: The Grupo Dass sports footwear manufacturing plant in Coronel Suarez, in the province of Buenos Aires, has been closed down - it used to manufacture articles for the brands Adidas, Nike, and Fila.
Paraguay's Economy Minister Carlos Fernández Valdovinos was singled out by the London-based The Banker publication for issuing bonds in guaraníes and the South American country's handling of the corruption issues that pop up. The outlet also recognized the finance ministers of France, Vietnam, Qatar, Morocco, and Chile for their management of the economy, growth policies, crisis response, and leadership skills.
A total of US$ 15.918 billion fled Brazil in 2024, which represented the third-largest annual leakage ever behind consecutive negative balances in 2019 (US$ 44.768 billion) and 2020 (US$ 27.923 billion), the Central Bank (BCB) reported this week. Last year's financial flow was negative by US$84.396 billion after outflows (US$ 674.385 billion) outpaced inflows (US$ 589.989 billion).
A study released in Montevideo Thursday by the Uruguay XXI Institute showed that the South American country's exports of goods reached U$S 12,845 million in 2024, which represented a 13% increase from 2023, driven particularly by cellulose exports and the recovery of soybean shipments after the drought the year before.
Last year might have meant a battle won against inflation by the Libertarian administration of President Javier Milei. Still, it also represented a significant wage loss for most Argentines if not the disappearance of their livelihoods altogether as it happened to temporary State workers whose contracts were not renewed as customary under previous governments.
Chinese farmers and meat industry associations are complaining about the surge in foreign beef imports and the Ministry of Commerce has promised an investigation into the situation, according to Beijing government sources.
Meteorologists foresee that the La Niña weather phenomenon will not go unnoticed in the Southern Cone next year after the Brazilian agency Metsul reported signs of unusual activity in the Pacific Ocean. The main impact will be reflected in mercurial temperatures, MetSul's warning noted.
Paraguay's Consumer Price Index (CPI) grew 0.7% this month, which represented a setback from 0.3% in the same month last year. Nevertheless, Asunción confirmed closing 2024 with a 3.8% inflation, barely over 2023's 3.7%, according to the Central Bank (BCP), and therefore within the target range of 4%, it was explained Monday. On a brighter note, core inflation stood at 0.3% in December for a yearly variation of 3.4%, which meant progress from the 3.6% registered in 2023.
Monday's issue of Brazil's Central Bank's (BCB) Focus Bulletin twitched last week's 2025 slightly for the worse, with higher inflation and a smaller Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Agencia Brasil reported. The study showed that the Broad Consumer Price Index (IPCA) should end 2025 at 4.96% from the 4.86% forecast last week. It was the 11th adjustment to the inflation projection and the ninth to the exchange rate between the local real and the US dollar.
US dollar expectations in the Brazilian market are beating forecasts having reached R$ 6.30 in December, (from 4.85 in January 2024) making the Brazilian Real one of the largest currencies of emerging countries, as the most devalued during 2024, despite the Central Bank pumping some US$ 17 billion to the market hoping to contain the slide.