Economy

• Thursday, February 1st 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentina last year exported less honey but got higher revenue

  Argentina, which is constantly challenging China as the world's largest honey exporter, last year exported 99,000 tonnes of honey for 146 million, a decline of six percent in volume but an increase of 15 percent in revene reflecting higher prices for the product.

• Thursday, February 1st 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentina shuts border to Bolivian meat

  Argentina has suspended the import of all meat products from Bolivia in response to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, Senasa, the agricultural health and quality service, announced Tuesday.

• Thursday, February 1st 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentine pension fund reform proposal gets mixed marks

  

  A proposal by the Argentine government to allow some 11 million people to migrate from the private AFJPs pension funds to the state-run scheme has won widespread praise for the sake of freedom of choice, but also criticism, with observers telling MercoPress that it has been timed ahead of the October's presidential vote, aimed at “funding” the government even a step towards re-estatization.

• Wednesday, January 31st 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Fed leaves rates unchanged; “inflation likely to moderate”

  The United States Federal Reserve left Wednesday interest rates unchanged at 5.25% for the fifth time running based on “firmer economic growth” with the economy “likely to expand at a moderate pace over coming quarters”.

• Monday, January 29th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Poll reveals that Europeans are not happy with the Euro

  

  A majority of people in France, Germany, Spain and Italy feel the euro has hurt their economies, according to a poll published Monday in the Financial Times. The FT-Harris survey found more than half of citizens questioned in the big euro zone countries said they preferred their former currency.

• Saturday, January 27th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Lula calls on rich countries to advance global trade reforms

  

  Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva made on Friday an impassioned plea to rich countries to assume their responsibilities in long-struggling global free trade talks helping to achieve a quick agreement.

• Friday, January 26th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Chile banking industry “The most profitable in the world”

  

  Chilean banks were among the most profitable in the world in 2006, with profits of 18.56 percent in 2006, according to recent figures developed by Chile's Bank and Financial Institution Supervisory Board (SBIF).

• Friday, January 26th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentina's risk rate drops to new record and is below Brazil's

  

  Argentina's rate risk dropped Friday below that of neighboring Brazil, a day after the successful floating of sovereign bonds totaling 500 million US dollars, at the lowest interest rate since August 2005.

• Friday, January 26th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentine banks enjoy bonanza after debacle

  

  Just a few years after its worst financial debacle in history, Argentina is going through a surprising banking bonanza and experts say it is highly to continue, at least in the short- to mid-term.

• Thursday, January 25th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Global unemployment remains at historic high, says UN

  

  The number of people unemployed worldwide remained at an historical high of nearly 200 million in 2006 despite strong global economic growth, only modest gains were made in lifting some of the 1.37 billion working poor living on less than 2 US dollars per day out of poverty, and the pattern looks set to continue this year, according to a United Nations report released Thursday.