Argentina's construction activity was up 4% in March from the same month a year ago, the smallest increase in at least 15 months. In comparison, construction activity in March 2010 was up 12.8% on the year.
Weak jobs data, sliding retail sales and rising inflation confirm Spain’s economic recovery is faltering. The official figures released Friday showed 21.3% of the workforce without a job, up from 20.3% at the end of last year.
The US economy is not fully recovered from its deep recession, with housing still weighing on growth, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Friday in a speech spelling out ways the US central bank has studied lower income communities.
US economic growth slowed in the first three months of 2011 to an annualised rate of 1.8%, corresponding to a 0.4% quarterly increase. This compares with a revised annual growth rate of 3.1% in the previous quarter, official figures show.
The strength of the Brazilian Real against the US dollar is very worrying for the country's exporters, with many companies struggling with higher production costs and a reduced ability to compete in global markets, Bunge Brasil CEO Pedro Parente said Thursday.
The Brazilian central bank said it will raise interest rates at a slower pace for a longer period than initially planned as the country’s inflation outlook worsens, according to the minutes of its April 19-20 meeting.
United States crude oil futures rose Thursday to hit a 31-month high settlement after a volatile trading session while the US dollar fell to a three-year low against major currencies following on the Federal Reserve's intention to keep interest rates near zero.
A week before the next round of negotiations for an ambitious association and trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur, a paper from the EU Joint Research Study centre, JRS, quantifies the alleged losses of such a deal for European farmers.
While for the Venezuelan government Mercosur has become the main priority following its recent exit from the Community of Andean Nations, CAN, the country’s private sector claims it is the worst moment possible for such a move.
Brazil’s bank lending expanded in March at the second-slowest pace in 13 months as the government stepped up efforts to contain demand and inflation by curbing credit to consumers.