Economy

• Tuesday, March 6th 2012 - 18:56 UTC

  Argentine dock workers conflict extends; 150 ships idle waiting to load

  

  Scores of grains ships sat idle outside Argentina's ports and off the Uruguayan coast on Tuesday as the country dock workers’ union and port managers' chamber sparred over a strike that threatened to disrupt exports.

• Tuesday, March 6th 2012 - 17:27 UTC

  Brazil’s reviewing its foreign policy but South America remains the “anchor”

  

  Brazil will keep its foreign policy ‘anchor’ in South America but will review the international because of the latest global changes such as the European Union crisis and the Arab spring.

• Tuesday, March 6th 2012 - 17:06 UTC

  Brazil growth in 2011, slowest since 2003, but 2 million jobs were created

  

  The Brazilian economy last year registered its second-worst performance since 2003 as higher borrowing costs and a currency that rallied to a 12-year high led it to under-perform emerging-market peers China and India.

• Tuesday, March 6th 2012 - 05:33 UTC

  Argentina’s top climatologist forecasts 20/21 million tons or corn this season

  

  After back-to-back droughts, Argentine growers could have a record harvest of soybeans and corn next season as the La Niña weather phenomenon makes way for El Niño, one of the country's best-known forecasters anticipated.

• Tuesday, March 6th 2012 - 05:23 UTC

  Rousseff and Merkel exchange ideas on ‘monetary tsunami’ and ‘protectionism’

  

  German Chancellor Angela Merkel replied on Monday to Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff claims that Europe is involved in a “monetary tsunami” arguing that developed countries are very concerned with Brazil’s protectionist measures.Merkel and Rousseff met at Hannover where the Brazilian president was invited to open a high technology event.

• Tuesday, March 6th 2012 - 05:03 UTC

  Paraguay exports to Argentina plunge 70%; ‘mirror’ countermeasures considered

  

  Mercosur junior member Paraguay that is suffering the Argentine restrictions on imports and has seen its February exports plummet 70% is planning ‘mirror’ countermeasures but emphasizing on those products with greater impact for Argentina and lesser for Paraguay.

• Tuesday, March 6th 2012 - 01:06 UTC

  China targets 7.5% economic growth as it prepares for change of leadership

  

  China expects economic growth of 7.5% this year as it looks for more sustainable expansion, prepares for a change in leadership and rides out a global slowdown. Premier Wen Jiabao unveiled the target at the start of the annual National People's Congress.

• Monday, March 5th 2012 - 23:42 UTC

  Brazil 2011/12 soy and corn crops estimates slightly lower to 69.5m and 60.4m tons

  

  Brazil’s 2011/12 soybean and corn crops are forecasted to be slightly lower than the original February estimates according to the latest release from industry and market analyst.

• Monday, March 5th 2012 - 23:12 UTC

  US warns Argentina could loose trade benefits for not complying international investment rulings

  

  United States could soon suspend trade benefits for Argentina warned on Monday an official from the Department of Commerce. US accuses Argentina of not paying awards in two long-running investment disputes with US companies following rulings from an international tribunal.

• Monday, March 5th 2012 - 20:11 UTC

  Argentina trade restrictions cut Uruguayan exports by almost half in February

  

  Uruguayan exports to Argentina during the month of February plummeted 46.6% compared to the same month a year ago according to Uruguay’s Union of Exporters, which attributes the poor performance to the imports restrictions imposed by the neighbouring country.