Economy

• Saturday, October 16th 2010 - 00:13 UTC

  Chilean food exporters request government support to face weakening US dollar

  

  Representatives from Chile’s Council of Food Exporters met this week for 90 minutes with the Chile’s Treasury Minister, Felipe Larraín, to express their concern over the loss of competitiveness in the sector as a result of the declining value of the US dollar versus the Chilean peso, and to propose a series of measures to address the issue.

• Saturday, October 16th 2010 - 00:08 UTC

  Brazil ready to take additional measures to limit local currency from strengthening

  

  Finance Minister Guido Mantega said the government is ready to take additional measures to limit gains in the Real, including stricter limits on risk exposure for investors in the futures market, should the currency continue to strengthen.

• Saturday, October 16th 2010 - 00:06 UTC

  US Federal Reserve prepared to buy more US government bonds

  

  US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has opened the way to a new round of quantitative easing. “There would appear, all else being equal, to be a case for further action,” he said, in a speech to the Boston regional Federal Reserve, Friday.

• Saturday, October 16th 2010 - 00:04 UTC

  Mercosur/EU on track to reach an agreement by mid 2011

  

  European Union and Mercosur representatives concluded Friday in Brussels a new round of negotiations for an association and cooperation agreement for which they have proposed an ambitious work calendar extending until mid 2011, when the accord could be closed.

• Friday, October 15th 2010 - 06:34 UTC

  Miners rescue operation cost between 10 and 20 million US dollars

  

  Chilean President Sebastian Piñera revealed that the rescue operation for the 33 miners trapped during 70 days 622 metres underground in the north of the country cost between 10 and 20 million US dollars.

• Friday, October 15th 2010 - 06:25 UTC

  Brazil considering selling 100-year bonds and foreign debt denominated in Real

  

  Brazil is considering selling 100-year bonds after Mexico succeeded in offering the longest-maturity debt issued by a Latin American country, Treasury Secretary Arno Agustin said.

• Friday, October 15th 2010 - 06:21 UTC

  Colombia to apply capital inflow restrictions to combat the stronger Peso

  

  The Colombian government announced it would restrict the inflow of dollars into the country, one of several measures to try and prevent the local Peso from appreciating against the greenback, which this year already reached 14%.

• Friday, October 15th 2010 - 06:19 UTC

  Argentine consumers’ inflation expectation for next 12 months soars to 33.7%

  

  Inflation expectations in Argentina for the next twelve months, based on the October’s Inflation expectations poll from the Torcuato Di Tella Business School Finance Research Centre reach 33.7%.

• Thursday, October 14th 2010 - 05:58 UTC

  President Obama and Democrats ratings fall ahead of November midterm election

  

  United States President Barack Obama's approval rating fell to a new low of 43% since he took office, down from 47% last month, according to a Reuters-Ipsos national poll. Ipsos pollsters say it appears that much of that drop comes from Democrats whose approval of Obama fell to 70% from 78% last month.

• Thursday, October 14th 2010 - 05:55 UTC

  Germany warns China and the US: “currency war leads to a trade war”

  

  China should make concessions to avoid escalating foreign exchange tensions turning into a trade war German Economy Minister Rainer Bruederle was quoted as saying on Wednesday.