Economy

• Friday, July 26th 2013 - 11:39 UTC

  Beijing unveils measures to boost growth: tax breaks and railway construction

  

  China has unveiled a series of moves aimed at boosting growth, indicating that policymakers are concerned about the slowdown in its economy. The steps include tax breaks for small businesses, reduced fees for exporters and opening up of railway construction.

• Friday, July 26th 2013 - 04:34 UTC

  FAO forecasts new record level of cereals production this year: 2.479m tons

  

  World total cereal production is forecast to increase by about 7% in 2013 compared to last year, helping to replenish global inventories and raise expectations for more stable markets in 2013/14, according to the latest issue of FAO quarterly Crop Prospects and Food Situation.

• Thursday, July 25th 2013 - 06:00 UTC

  Brazil current account deficit narrows in June, but will be above 3% of GDP in 2013

  

  Brazil's current account deficit narrowed in June from a year ago, central bank data showed on Tuesday, although it may still be unable to cover that gap in 2013 with direct investment from abroad. The country posted a current account gap of 3.6 billion dollars in June.

• Thursday, July 25th 2013 - 05:43 UTC

  For the first time since 2000, Brazil is expected to post a trade deficit

  

  Brazil is this year, for the first time since 2000, is expected to post a balance of trade deficit which, according to the Brazilian Foreign Trade Association (Aeb), and should be in the range of 2 billion dollars.

• Thursday, July 25th 2013 - 02:33 UTC

  Brazil prepared to change Mercosur negotiation strategy to spur agreement with the EU

  

  Brazil wants to change the way Mercosur negotiates trade agreements with the European Union, EU, so as to definitively advance with the ongoing discussions that were started in 1995, but still have to see concrete results, according to Brazilian official trade and diplomatic sources.

• Wednesday, July 24th 2013 - 20:52 UTC

  Foreigners own 6% of rural land in Argentina, equivalent to 15.8 million hectares

  

  A total of 5.93% of rural land in Argentina is foreign-owned President Cristina Fernández announced which amounts to 15.8 million hectares. During a speech at Government House, Justice Secretary Julián Alvarez presented a survey that is a prelude to the full implementation of the Law 26,737 on Rural Lands (Ley de Tierras Rurales) passed in 2011 to place a 15% limit on foreign ownership of rural land in Argentina.

• Wednesday, July 24th 2013 - 20:47 UTC

  Latam and Caribbean poised to grow 3% this year; poor performance from Brazil and Mexico

  

  Latinamerica and the Caribbean are poised to grow 3% this year, according to the July Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean, which is down from the previous April estimate of 3.5%. Slower growth in the region’s two largest economies Brazil and Mexico, and more modest activity in Chile, Panama and Peru have pulled the average down.

• Wednesday, July 24th 2013 - 07:29 UTC

  Argentina/Brazil trade disputes reached a ‘furious level’ during Mercosur last summit in Montevideo

  

  International issues helped Mercosur to close ranks and give a false image of unity during the last summit held in Uruguay, according to diplomatic sources in Montevideo that are surfacing details of a bitter exchange behind doors between Argentina’s Cristina Fernandez and Brazil’s Dilma Rousseff.

• Wednesday, July 24th 2013 - 07:12 UTC

  Argentina trade surplus up 26.9% in June as grains and oilseed exports get moving

  

  Argentina's June trade surplus grew by 26.9% to 1.16 billion dollars from 910 million in the same month last year, but the six month period was down 26%, the government's national statistics institute Indec said on Tuesday.

• Wednesday, July 24th 2013 - 07:03 UTC

  South Georgia coin with privy mark to congratulate the Royal Couple

  

  Following the birth of His Royal Highness, the Prince of Cambridge, Pobjoy Mint has announced the release of three coins which have had a special privy mark added to them to congratulate the Royal Couple and to commemorate the historic occasion. The coins will be released on behalf of British Virgin Islands and South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands.