Economy

• Monday, April 13th 2009 - 08:36 UTC

  Argentine industry calls for “non tariff barriers” against world crisis

  

  Argentina should appeal to “non tariff barriers” to protect itself from the global crisis said Hector Mendez, who this week takes over as head of the country’s largest federation of industries, Industrial Union of Argentina, after having elected to the post.

• Saturday, April 11th 2009 - 13:47 UTC

  Lula da Silva “obsessed” with reducing bank rates

  

  Brazil named Aldemir Bendine as chief executive of federally owned Banco do Brasil Aldemir Bendine seeking to boost lending in the country's financial system and lower borrowing costs. Bendine, a Banco do Brasil veteran who was previously in charge of its credit card and new retail business, succeeds Antonio Francisco de Lima Neto as CEO.

• Saturday, April 11th 2009 - 08:26 UTC

  Bi-national Patagonia Chamber is born in Punta Arenas

  

  Argentine and Chilean delegations officially launched this week in Punta Arenas, extreme south of Chile, the Bi-national Patagonia Chamber which brings together fifteen regional chambers from the regions of Aisen and Magallanes and Argentine Patagonia.

• Saturday, April 11th 2009 - 08:15 UTC

  Federal Reserve expects US recovery, but jobs market prospect dismal

  

  Minutes from the last meeting of US Federal Reserve policy makers show just how downbeat they had become on the state of the US economy. It was this pessimism that led them to agree to spend more than one trillion US dollars to revive its fortunes.

• Saturday, April 11th 2009 - 08:15 UTC

  Brazilian meatpacker begins negotiations with creditors

  

  Brazilian meatpacker Arantes Alimentos Ltda has initiated a renegotiation of debts with its creditors, company controler Aderbal Arantes Junior said in an interview Thursday with local newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo.

• Friday, April 10th 2009 - 10:32 UTC

  US February trade deficit smallest since November 1999

  

  The US trade deficit has narrowed to a new-year low in February, the seventh month in a row it has shrunk. The difference between what the US exports and imports, narrowed by 28% to 26.3 billion from January's revised 36.2 billion, becoming the smallest gap since November 1999.

• Friday, April 10th 2009 - 08:59 UTC

  Japan announces third stimulus plan …and more if needed

  

  Japan announced Thursday a record 150 billion US dollars stimulus package as it seeks to revive its flagging economy. Prime Minister Taro Aso announced the package, worth about 3% of its gross domestic product, in Tokyo after the ruling party approved the measures.

• Friday, April 10th 2009 - 07:14 UTC

  World Economic Forum on Latin America to be held in Rio do Janeiro

  

  More than 500 political, social and economic leaders from 37 countries will meet next week in Rio for the World Economic Forum on Latin America, the organizers announced on Wednesday.

• Friday, April 10th 2009 - 05:58 UTC

  Bank of England leaves rates unchanged, opts for money injection

  

  The Bank of England kept interest rates on hold at 0.5%, in a widely expected move following a number of rate cuts in recent months. Rates remain at an all-time low after six cuts since October last year, when interest rates stood at 5%.

• Friday, April 10th 2009 - 05:57 UTC

  Spanish Easter shoppers double Gibraltar population

  

  Gibraltar’s population was practically doubled as an avalanche of Spanish shoppers poured in through the frontier gates on Tuesday to take advantage of the price bargains resulting from the strength of the Euro in relation to Sterling, reports the Chronicle