
Brazil and China will sign an agreement in the coming weeks to swap as much as 30 billion in their two currencies, Brazil Finance Minister Guido Mantega said.

Corn fell in Chicago on concern a record harvest in Brazil’s Mato Grosso state may add to a supply glut and on speculation slowing US economic growth will cut demand for grain used to make ethanol.

Finance minister Guido Mantega said the latest release from investment bank Credit Suisse forecasting Brazil’s 2012 GDP growth at 1.5%, was “a joke”.

The German government and opposition reached on Thursday a deal that will allow parliament to approve the European Stability Mechanism, ESM, next week, but Germany's top court may delay the rescue fund's start date, saying it needed time to study the treaty.

Spain's medium-term borrowing costs spiralled to a Euro-era record on Thursday and independent auditors said Spanish banks may need up to 62 billion Euros in extra capital, to be filled mostly by a Euro zone bailout.

Uruguayan Minister of Economy Fernando Lorenzo expressed deep concern regarding events in Europe and warned that “the longer the delay in effectively analyzing the cost of the crisis” then everything will work out “much costlier”.
Mining companies in Argentina have sharply reduced exports because they are unable to meet a new government rule forcing them to cash in the proceeds within 30 days, the head of an industry group said.

Argentina's government authorized this week the export of 6 million tons of 2012/13 wheat as farmers advance with early plantings, officials said.

Argentina's biggest grains exchange trimmed its forecast for 2011/12 soy output this week to 40.5 million tons, down from May's estimate of 40.9 million tons as harvesting enters the home stretch.

Argentines' expectations for future inflation held steady in June, marking the fourth consecutive month in which people have expected annual inflation to total 30%.