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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, July 21st 2025 - 12:57 UTC

Economy

  • Friday, April 4th 2014 - 07:48 UTC

    FAO food price index in March climbs to its highest since May 2013

    Sugar and cereals prices experienced the most increase while dairy produce was down

    The FAO Food Price Index rose sharply in March, up 4.8 points, or 2.3%, to an average of 212.8, the highest level since May 2013. The Index, based on the prices of a basket of internationally-traded food commodities, saw prices increase in all groups except dairy, which fell for the first time in four months (-2.5%). Sugar, 7.9% and Cereals, 5.2% climbed the most.

  • Friday, April 4th 2014 - 07:41 UTC

    White House targets methane emissions

    According to the White House, 36% of methane emissions come from agriculture.

    By Nicholas Cunningham of Oilprice.com - On March 28, the White House released a multi-pronged strategy to reduce methane emissions from a variety of sources, a step the administration says is an outgrowth of the President's Climate Action Plan announced last year. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, about 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

  • Friday, April 4th 2014 - 07:35 UTC

    Brazilian congress strikes down new taxes on the domestic soy market

    The country is the world's leading exporter of soybeans

    Brazil's Congress struck down this week a proposal to impose new taxes on the internal soy market after fierce opposition from the country's agricultural sector. An amendment to apply a tax known as PIS/Cofins on soybean sales to some domestic buyers had been removed from a bill to simplify taxation of Brazilian companies abroad that was passed by the lower chamber late on Tuesday.

  • Friday, April 4th 2014 - 04:35 UTC

    Uruguayan government feels it can tame inflation based on March's index

    Minister Bergara, the outlook is positive for the coming months

    Inflation in Uruguay during March reached 0.58% accumulating 4.74% in the first quarter and 9.73% in the last twelve months, which is seen as 'positive' and an indication that recent measures to contain prices are 'being successful', according to Economy minister Mario Bergara.

  • Friday, April 4th 2014 - 04:26 UTC

    Brazil manufacturing activity expands for the fourth straight month in March

    However the pace of growth remains very modest

    Brazil's manufacturing activity expanded for the fourth straight month in March, though at a meager pace as growth in new orders cooled, a private survey showed. The HSBC Purchasing Managers' Index for the Brazilian manufacturing sector rose to a seasonally adjusted 50.6 in March from 50.4 in February. The 50 mark separates contraction from expansion.

  • Thursday, April 3rd 2014 - 07:25 UTC

    Argentina's YPF sells one billion dollars in 10-year bonds at 8.75% rate

    YPF desperately needs fresh funds to turn the country again into self sufficient in oil and gas

    Argentina’s nationalized oil and gas producer, YPF, sold 1 billion dollars in a bond sale on Tuesday, the company said in a statement. The 10-year bonds will pay 8.75% interest and were five times oversubscribed, YPF said. The U.S. dollar-denominated securities were issued under Argentine law and was considered a great success by the company.

  • Thursday, April 3rd 2014 - 07:21 UTC

    Brazil central bank raises benchmark Selic rate to 11%

    The Copom will release the minutes from Wednesday's meeting April 10

    Brazil's central bank raised its benchmark Selic rate to 11% from 10.75% on Wednesday, prolonging its tightening cycle after a surge in food prices that has stoked already high inflation in an election year. The bank's decision was unanimous and left the door open for possible further rate hikes.

  • Wednesday, April 2nd 2014 - 08:29 UTC

    World Bank will increase lending capacity by 100bn to 300bn in the next ten years

    President Jim Yong Kim made the announcement during a speech in Washington

    The World Bank announced on Tuesday a series of measures to strengthen the bank resources including a 100 billion dollars increase in the lending capacity for middle-income countries over the next decade, new innovations in financial management, and a boost in the institution’s ability to provide private sector support.

  • Wednesday, April 2nd 2014 - 07:56 UTC

    Brazil closes first quarter with the worst trade balance result since 1994

    However in March the country managed a modest 112 million dollars surplus

    The Brazilian trade balance posted a 112 million surplus in March with exports totaling 17.628 billion dollars and imports, 17.516 billion. It has been the worst result for March since 2001, when a 276.1 million deficit was recorded while the combined deficit for the first quarter of the year, 6.1bn dollars, is the worst result since records started being kept, in 1994.

  • Tuesday, April 1st 2014 - 04:06 UTC

    Bachelet sends corporate tax bill to Congress; first step for education reform

    The Chilean president signs the bill, the center piece of her electoral campaign

    President Michelle Bachelet sent Chile's Congress a bill on Monday that would raise corporate taxes to fund a sweeping overhaul of the country's education system. The proposed reform aims to raise 8.2 billion dollars to fund tuition-free public universities, a demand that fueled massive student protests under Bachelet's conservative predecessor Sebastian Piñera.