
A study by the research group FiscalData last week found that Brazil's 0.1% richest people (about 160,000 individuals) increased their earnings fivefold faster than average Brazilians between 2017 and 2023. This group's income rose 6.9% against the 1.4% national average. Hence, they went from holding 9.1% of the country's income in 2017 to 12.5% in 2023, the survey found.

The US Government of President Donald Trump has eliminated the so-called de minimis rule, effective Friday. According to this new decision, the previous rule allowing international shipments valued under US$800 to enter the country duty-free has been revoked, and all items are now subject to taxation.

Brazil's Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) released a study this week showing that as of July 1, 2025, the populatiin of South America's largest country aounted to 213.4 million inhabitants, representing a 0.39% increase over the previous year.

The Mexican Government of President Claudia Sheinbaum suspended all finished footwear imports temporarily to boost the domestic industry. The measure, published in the Official Gazette on Thursday, also tackles smuggling, it was explained.

Argentina's financial system is experiencing significant tension as a new reserve requirement scheme from the Central Bank (BCRA) forces financial institutions to drastically raise interest rates on fixed-term deposits. The average rate for a 30-day fixed-term deposit has jumped to 51.3%, a substantial increase from just a few weeks prior.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his Nigerian colleague Bola Tinubu signed a series of agreements earlier this week at the Planalto Palace during the African leader's state visit.

Brazilian authorities, exercising the pro tempore presidency of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur), and representatives from Canada are to resume talks about a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that was initiated in 2018 but suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Chile's Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG) has ordered the temporary suspension of chicken imports from Argentina due to an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) at a commercial poultry facility in the neighboring country.

The proportion of Brazilian one-person households has grown by 52% in 12 years, Agencia Brasil reported during the weekend. In 2024, 18.6% of households were inhabited by only one person. In 2012, this share stood at 12.2%.

Argentine President Javier Milei has been suffering a series of setbacks this week after the Lower House overturned his veto of the Disability Emergency Law, followed by a slumping trade surplus projection and a sharp drop in wholesale transactions amid mounting corruption scandals.