Economy

• Thursday, May 21st 2009 - 11:14 UTC

  Oil-export fuelled Venezuela feeling the shortage of hard currency

  

  Venezuela's economy grew at its slowest rate in five years during the first quarter, 0.3% (year to year) and the slowest since 2003 reported the Central Bank. Compared with the previous quarter the contraction was 16.4%.

• Thursday, May 21st 2009 - 11:12 UTC

  US Congress strong message to Argentina on defaulted obligations

  

  American Task Force Argentina (ATFA), a coalition of more than 40 taxpayer, investor, educator, Latino and agriculture organizations, commended members of the United States House of Representatives for introducing legislation imposing stiff penalties on wealthy and middle-income nations that, like Argentina, refuse to honour obligations to US creditors.

• Thursday, May 21st 2009 - 10:51 UTC

  Investors flock to gold fearing inflation and financial uncertainty

  

  Fears of future inflation and ongoing financial uncertainty saw investors continue to flock to gold in the first quarter of 2009, with volumes up 38% in the first three months of the year. Total demand for gold in the first quarter rose to 1,016 tonnes, representing a 36% rise in value terms to 29.7 billion US dollars, with demand from Exchange Traded Funds and demand for gold and coins driving the rising demand, suggesting that buyers were buying for investment purposes.

• Wednesday, May 20th 2009 - 14:55 UTC

  Soy prices set to increase because of poor crops in South America

  

  World stocks of soybeans are set to decline steeply to a five year low of around 50 million tons at the end of the season (10 million tons less than a year ago), mainly because of smaller crops in the leading exporting countries of South America, according to Oil World.

• Wednesday, May 20th 2009 - 14:39 UTC

  Business climate in Latinamerica undergoes slight improvement

  

  The business climate in Latinamerica experienced a slight improvement in the last three months having jumped from 2.9 points in January to 3.6 in April, although it is still one of the worst levels in seven years, reported the Brazilian Foundation Getulio Vargas

• Wednesday, May 20th 2009 - 14:37 UTC

  Worst of global crisis over, but early recovery unlikely, says Krugman

  

  Nobel Prize laureate Paul Krugman said Tuesday in Korea the worst phase of the global economic crisis is over but massive lingering debts make any early recovery unlikely.
  “I share the optimism that the worst is maybe over” said Krugman in a speech to an international finance forum in Seoul.

• Wednesday, May 20th 2009 - 02:42 UTC

  UK annual consumer inflation down to 2.3% in April

  

  The British annual consumer prices inflation was 2.3% in the year to April, down from 2.9% in the year to March, falling closer to the 2% target set by the government which most commentators had been expecting as utility bills were cut to reflect falling oil prices.

• Tuesday, May 19th 2009 - 14:42 UTC

  IMF anticipates Latinamerica will recover before developed countries

  

  Although Latinamerica is well prepared to confront the international economic crisis, the economies of the region will suffer on average a contraction of 1.5% this year, said the International Monetary Fund main advisor for the hemisphere Miguela Sabastano.

• Tuesday, May 19th 2009 - 14:02 UTC

  British economist blames financial sector for current optimistic forecasts

  

  Behind the idea that the current economic crisis will be over by 2010 are the interests of the financial sector that are trying their most to avoid a greater regulation of markets claims British Professor Robert Wade.

• Tuesday, May 19th 2009 - 13:57 UTC

  Trade and oil cooperation, high in the Lula da Silva agenda in China

  

  Brazilian president Lula da Silva arrived Monday in Beijing with a delegation of 240 businessmen for a three-day visit aimed at strengthening the country’s strategic partnership with China.