
In terms of outbound travel South Americans are ahead of everyone else in the Americas. In 2012, they undertook 12% more trips abroad than last year, marking a new record. The country clearly driving growth is Brazil.

P&O, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation Plc and one of the world’s leading cruise operators will be omitting Puerto Madryn, Ushuaia and Buenos Aires from its 2013 season because of the difficulties encountered by its red ensign vessels in Argentine ports during recent months. However the company confirms that the vessels will continue to call in the Falkland Islands.

Economy Minister Hernán Lorenzino announced on Thursday Argentina will be making payments for more than 3.5 billion dollars in GDP-linked bonds, at the Economy Ministry.
Lorenzino presented the payment as a triumph against the hedge-funds.

Brazil's president, Dilma Rousseff, told reporters in Paris her government intends to build approximately 800 regional airports in Brazil. The project considers that each city with over 100.000 inhabitants should have an airport within a 60-kilometer range.

Brazilian group JBS-Friboi, a leading global exporter of meat products, has inaugurated an industrial complex for pulp production with an investment of 6.2 billion Reais (approx 3 billion dollars).

The European Union Trade Commissioner openly accused “Argentina’s behaviour” as the main obstacle in discussions to advance and reach a free trade agreement with Mercosur.

Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff criticized in Paris policies that are limited to austerity when facing crises because they are not effective in economic terms and only generate ‘more recession and unemployment”.

Panama filed a dispute against Argentina at the World Trade Organization on Wednesday alleging the government of President Cristina Fernandez had broken WTO rules by discriminating against imports of goods and services.

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved a credit program for Argentina of 6 billion dollars until 2015, destined to works in the region known as Norte Grande, and Greater Buenos Aires, the Economy Ministry stated in a communiqué.

The US Federal Reserve has said it plans to keep interest rates at close to zero at least until the US unemployment rate falls below 6.5%. The Fed previously had a date-driven target, rather than a data-driven one.