Wheat rose to a record in Paris on Monday as traders speculated that Russia could curb shipments to restrain domestic food prices. Moscow has formed a working group that will consider measures to curb grain prices, which may include sales from state inventories as well as export duties and quotas.
On the first day of Chilean President Michelle Bachelet's trip to Japan, she and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which came into effect immediately. That accord is expected to create 50,000 new jobs and significantly increase Chile's exports to Japan.
Unemployment, informality and inactivity endanger prospects of some 106 million young people in Latin America and the Caribbean in the labour market, and hinder potential economic growth and the fight against poverty in the region according to a new report of the International Labour Office (ILO) issued in Santiago de Chile on Tuesday.
According to a study conducted by the Chilean daily La Tercera, Coyhaique and Puerto Montt are the Chilean cities with the highest average food prices.
The United States Federal Reserve's preferred inflation guide grew less than expected in July, increasing the possibility of a cut in US interest rates next month.
Latinamerican markets reacted positively on Friday to comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. In Brazil, the benchmark Bovespa stocks index rose 3.41% in intraday trading, tracking strong gains on Wall Street.
The World Trade Organisation announced Friday it will investigate whether Chinese industrial subsidies breach international trade rules following a complaint by the United States and Mexico.
Wheat prices on Friday surged more than 6% to a fresh all-time high driven by thin global supplies and heavy export demand. The sharp price increase, which came on top of the 5% jump on Thursday, reinforced fears of a spike in food inflation as industry begins to pass the costs on to consumers.
Chairman Ben Bernanke offered no clear signal that the Federal Reserve is poised to cut interest rates in a speech to central bankers on Friday, even as he reaffirmed its commitment to take into account the likely effects of financial market turmoil on the economy.
Ben Bernanke said in a letter to an influential New York Senator that the Federal Reserve is ready to act as needed to help the US economy if the current market turmoil spills over into the broader economy.