Argentine President Javier Milei reviewed his first year in office, during which he did manage to slow down inflation, albeit at a cost. “I want to thank the ordinary Argentines who were treated as second-class citizens for decades,” he said during his broadcast message.
The Broad National Consumer Price Index (IPCA) in South America's largest country stood at 0.39% in November, according to the Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) survey released Tuesday, Agencia Brasil reported. The new figures represented a slowdown from October's 0.56%, which does not indicate a drop in prices but rather a slower pace of increases as food items kept driving the IPCA upwards.
The FAO Food Price Index, FFPI, averaged 127.5 points in November 2024, up 0.5 percent from the October level and reaching its highest value since April 2023. The increase was driven by higher price quotations for dairy products and vegetable oils, which slightly outweighed declines in the meat, cereals, and sugar quotations. Compared to historical levels, the FFPI in November was 5.7 percent higher than its corresponding value a year ago but remained 20.4 percent below its peak of 160.2 points reached in March 2022.
A Brazilian expert foresees that the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) and the European Union (EU) will represent a 5.1% increase in commerce with the bloc that is already South America's largest country's second-largest partner, behind China, Agencia Brasil reported. These projections would mean a 0.34% rise in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the sum of goods and services produced in the country.
The South American Common Market (Mercosur) and the European Union announced Friday in Montevideo the final signing of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between both blocs, thus creating the largest and most populated commerce zone worldwide. The understanding was reached after 25 years of negotiations and despite France's reluctance.
Momentum is building up in Montevideo as the presence of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen seems to herald the imminent signing of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) as Brussels needs to halt China's commercial expansion in the region while Donald Trump's return to the White House looms over.
Argentina's Central Bank (BCRA) announced Thursday a reduction in the basic interest rate (Nominal Annual Rate - TNA), from 35% to 32% while one for swaps will go down from 40% to 36%. The measure is effective as of Friday and impacts all fixed-term deposits.
The implementation of the European Union Deforestation Regulation bill has been postponed until the end of 2025, following a provisional political agreement this week, between the European Parliament and the European Council.
The Southern Common Market (Mercosur) hopes to clinch the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU) during the two-day regional bloc's Summit starting Thursday in Montevideo with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as the main guest.
But the Red Sea shipping scenario with the Houthis attacks, and to a smaller extent, the drought in Panama – have had as can be expected in such situations, some sectors that can benefit. That is why most shipping sectors have experienced the strongest growth in ton-miles registered this year since 2010, helping prop up rates to highly profitable levels