For years, the joke in this country was that Brazil's economy was the economy of the future. The morose punchline, of course, was that the future never arrives. But finally, it seems, the future is now.
Brazil's main stock market, Ibovespa ended an exceptional 2007 with a turnover of 570 billion US dollars and its biggest annual gain in four years, over 40%. The Sao Paulo stock exchange closed Friday at 63.774 points, accumulating 43.4% gain over the closing of 44.473 points a year ago.
The US dollar finished 2007 with an accumulated loss of 6.65% against the Chilean Peso which was boosted by the strong international price for copper, Chile's main export, and the favorable interest rates differential with the US, according to Santiago analysts.
Mining giant Rio Tinto continued to defend itself against an unsolicited offer from larger rival BHP Billiton on Thursday, saying it had greater potential as a standalone company while rumors of possible Chinese offers re-emerged.
Boosted by bull-market prices for commodities, record crops and a surge in industrial shipments Argentina's exports in the first eleven months of 2007 equaled the whole of 2006 and for the first time ever crossed the 50 billion US dollars benchmark.
A Tierra del Fuego sheep farmer has been banned by Chilean sanitary authorities from selling lambs and mutton to the European Union for having violated a self regulated sanitary and flock management program, reports Punta Arenas, La Prensa Austral.
Argentine Central Bank President Martin Redrado announced Wednesday before the Senate that the country's economy will grow 7.2% next year, with inflation averaging between 7 and 11% and exports above 60 billions US dollars.
China's Yuan has soared against the US dollar in its biggest post-revaluation daily rise after the central bank signaled a shift in its policy. The Chinese central bank encouraged the jump by setting a very strong daily reference rate or mid-point of 7.3079.
World Trade Organization director Pascal Lamy said Brazil had managed to impose its agenda in the current global trade liberation discussions and trusted that the Doha Round talks will be finalized in 2008.
Agriculture in the Falkland Islands has undergone significant changes in recent years giving farmers far more choices and they can even mix farming with other activities.