
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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.