
The Government of Uruguay has decided to scrap the Value Added Tax (VAT) from hotel bills paid by local nationals between March 1 and April 17 in a move to boost domestic tourism. The measure, which was already in force for foreign travelers, seeks to help the leisure industry, heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following the Prime Minister-s announcement to the House of Commons, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss on Tuesday 22 February designated the initial tranche of sanctions on Russia. The sanctions package targets oligarchs and banks associated with the Kremlin.

Uruguay's President Luis Lacalle Pou told attendees at the Expo Dubai 2022 international fair that the private sector made a country thrive and urged investors to pour into the South American country to become “owners, partners or shareholders of the food generation.”

Some of the first consequences of the Ukraine conflict? Belarus, a close ally of Russia's Vladimir Putin, has announced that the Belarus Potash Corporation, BPC, will no longer abide by some contracts following sanctions imposed by the United States and other countries.

Brazil's leading think tank, Getulio Vargas Foundation, believes that in the current global trade situation with bottlenecks, shortages of inputs and transport challenges there is a great opportunity to reach an integral trade agreement between Mercosur and South Korea.

International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva made the following statement at the virtual meeting of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors:

A high-ranking International Monetary Fund (IMF) official Friday announced a full deal with Argentina “is very close,” as the Government of President Alberto Fernández hopes it will be next week, so that it can be put up for Congressional approval at the start of the new Legislature, March 1.

The World Trade Organization committee to eliminate subsidies for illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and banning certain forms of fisheries subsidies to impede overcapacity and overfishing, have agreed to continue working and conclude negotiations as soon as possible,

By Willem H. Buitter – By approving an unprecedentedly large loan to Argentina in mid-2018, despite the country's failure to meet basic borrowing conditions, the International Monetary Fund committed a major blunder. Rather than compounding the mistake with another similar program, it should accept reality – and responsibility.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development UNCTAD has published the Global Trade Update report, which shows that in 2021, world trade in goods remained strong and trade in services finally returned to its pre-COVID-19 levels.