Economy

• Saturday, May 3rd 2014 - 06:18 UTC

  Uruguay interested in joining negotiations to liberalize trade in services

  

  Uruguay has expressed an interest in actively participating in negotiations to liberalize trade in services in the framework of TISA, Trade in Services Agreement which recently held its seventh round of talks in Geneva.

• Saturday, May 3rd 2014 - 06:06 UTC

  Construction in Argentina down 6% in March; industry demands price stability

  

  Argentina's National Statistics Bureau, Indec revealed that construction activity fell 6% in March compared with the same period in 2013. The Argentine government, as has happened with the poverty figures, at first was reluctant to release the index, but finally delivered the latest data.

• Saturday, May 3rd 2014 - 05:43 UTC

  Pope says Vatican finances must be transparent and aimed at helping the needy

  

  Vatican administrators need a “change of mentality” and must ensure that the Holy See's finances are efficient, transparent and primarily aimed at helping the most needy, Pope Francis said on Friday.

• Saturday, May 3rd 2014 - 05:39 UTC

  Spain's economy shows timid performance but unemployment remains at 26%

  

  Spain's economy expanded by 0.4% in the first quarter of the year topping the previous quarter's growth rate by two-tenths of a point, the National Statistics Institute, INE, confirmed. However unemployment remains at a record 25.93%.

• Friday, May 2nd 2014 - 10:00 UTC

  Uruguay confirmed a third pulp mill with construction beginning in 2017

  

  Uruguay has confirmed a third pulp mill to be built to the north east of the country in Cerro Largo, while the second one, Montes del Plata on the River Plate and recently finished is to be formally inaugurated sometime between May 15 and 25, although production will be delayed for a few months since the second wharf is unfinished and the effluents plant non commissioned.

• Friday, May 2nd 2014 - 09:54 UTC

  Uruguay approves import of US fresh and frozen poultry

  

  Uruguay has granted final approval for importing US fresh and frozen poultry and poultry products, including US fresh chicken, the USDA has announced.

• Friday, May 2nd 2014 - 09:27 UTC

  Uruguay's budget fiscal deficit climbs in March to its highest since October 2003

  

  Uruguay's fiscal deficit climbed to 3.2% of GDP during March, the highest since October 2003, --equivalent to 1.69 billion dollars--, but Economy minister Mario Bergara said that there is no risk for “the sustainability of public accounts or sustainability of current macroeconomic policies”.

• Friday, May 2nd 2014 - 09:03 UTC

  Brazil confirms Mercosur/EU are ready to exchange proposals in a month's time

  

  Brazil confirmed this week that for the end of May or early June, Mercosur will be presenting its joint tariff-reduction proposal to the European Union for the conclusion of an ambitious, but long delayed, cooperation and trade agreement.

• Friday, May 2nd 2014 - 08:42 UTC

  If EU dumps independent Scotland, 12 countries would be barred from its fishing waters

  

  Scottish First Minister warned that 12 countries could be barred from his country’s waters and would not even be allowed to pass through to reach Norwegian waters if an independent Scotland was refused European Union (EU) membership.

• Friday, May 2nd 2014 - 08:37 UTC

  Labor Day with raft of increases in Argentina: train fares, gasoline, cigarettes and air tickets

  

  Despite Labor Day to honor workers, May begins with bad news for Argentine consumers: fare increases for trains and domestic flights tickets and rises on cigarettes and gasoline prices ranging from 4% to 100% in the case of train tariffs.