Economy

• Monday, March 21st 2011 - 07:39 UTC

  Chilean Central Bank unveils new 1,000 Peso banknote

  

  The president of Chile’s Central Bank showed pictures and described the virtues of the country’s new 1,000-peso (currently worth about US$2.04) banknote this week. This was the fifth and final addition Chile’s new family of banknotes, which have gradually replaced bills in circulation for 30 years.

• Sunday, March 20th 2011 - 08:20 UTC

  Obama promises Brazil will be treated the same way as China and India

  

  Addressing the Brazilian Industry Federation, in Brasilia President Barack Obama emphasized the possibilities for partnership between the two countries mentioning trade, energy, infrastructure and education. The US leader said that “the future has arrived in Brazil” and promised the US would deal with the country in the same way it does with China and India.

• Sunday, March 20th 2011 - 08:12 UTC

  US/Brazil to advance trade and economic cooperation agreement

  

  Brazil and the United States agreed on Saturday to boost future cooperation on a range of key issues including trade and energy. The agreements were signed on the first day of US President Barack Obama's two-day visit to Brazil, where he met with Brazilian counterpart Dilma Rousseff. They include TECA, a trade and economic cooperation agreement with a road map for future negotiations.

• Sunday, March 20th 2011 - 07:59 UTC

  Argentina and Australian group open ‘world’s largest’ lithium carbonate plant

  

  Argentine authorities and from Australia’s mining group ADY Resources opened this week the ‘Salar del Rincon’ plant, the “largest in the world” for the production of lithium carbonate in the north of Argentina.

• Saturday, March 19th 2011 - 07:22 UTC

  Inflation alarm-bells in Uruguay as consumer prices rise sharply in Jan-Feb

  

  Uruguay's central bank must act swiftly after a surge in consumer prices during the first two months of the year or the economy could suffer “serious problems,” a recognized research company has warned.

• Saturday, March 19th 2011 - 07:15 UTC

  Chilean farm exports fear “cheap” dollar and current situation in Japan

  

  Due to the falling U.S. dollar and the current crisis in Japan stemming from last week’s devastating earthquake and tsunami, Chilean exports may be hit hard with losses this year, despite government assurances to the contrary.

• Saturday, March 19th 2011 - 07:13 UTC

  Argentine economy expanded 9.2% in 2010 and begins 2011 with a”6% floor”

  

  Argentina’s economy grew 9.2% during the last quarter of 2010 compared to the same period in 2009, according to an official report from the government’s statistics office, Indec. The country’s GDP also increased 2.5% compared to the previous trimester and totalling 9.2% growth during 2010.

• Friday, March 18th 2011 - 23:55 UTC

  Chile launches promotion package to recover 250 cruise vessel annual calls

  

  Recovering 250 cruise vessel calls a year, --as in 2006 and 2008--, is the Chilean government target with the bill it has sent to Congress which would authorize Chilean and foreign flagged vessels to operate their on board casinos while sailing in territorial waters, currently specifically banned.

• Friday, March 18th 2011 - 18:51 UTC

  Brazil planning to increase grain crop to 190 million tons in next decade

  

  Brazil stands on the brink of becoming an agricultural superpower and is one of the few countries in the world with the climate, technology, farming practices and the sheer quantity of land to be able to satisfy the surging global appetite for food in the coming decades.

• Friday, March 18th 2011 - 18:46 UTC

  Arianespace will launch third Argentine communication satellite in 2013

  

  Argentina has again selected Arianespace for its commercial launch services - this time to orbit the Argentine satellite operator's second satellite, Arsat-2.