Economy

• Friday, April 4th 2014 - 04:35 UTC

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

  

  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

  

  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

  

  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%

  

  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

  

  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

  

  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

  

  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.

• Monday, March 31st 2014 - 19:42 UTC

  Uruguay and Peru in line for a possible upgrading, according to Moody's

  

  Uruguay and Peru are the first Latin American countries in line for a possible credit rating hike by Moody's Investors Service, at a moment when sovereign upgrades are expected to become more scarce in the region, a senior analyst with the ratings firm said.

• Monday, March 31st 2014 - 19:28 UTC

  Mercosur expects to exchange tariff-reduction proposals with EU next June

  

  Mercosur expects to present a joint proposal regarding tariff reductions to the European Union during a meeting next June, according to Brazil's Minister of Development, Trade and Industry, Mauro Borges who apparently convinced a reluctant Argentina to join the group.

• Monday, March 31st 2014 - 19:25 UTC

  Brazil/Argentina agree on deal to promote bilateral trade by guaranteeing 'dollar liquidity'

  

  Brazil and Argentina signed a deal over the weekend that seeks to guarantee importers will have enough U.S. dollars to pay for exports, a move to increase trade between both nations that has been hit hard by a sharp depreciation of the Argentine peso.