
Argentine Economy Minister Martin Guzman said on Friday the country has the necessary instruments to maintain the current exchange rate policy, despite tumbling foreign reserves and a ballooning gap between the official and informal peso exchange rates.

Brazilian iron ore exports increased by 18.5% in September compared to the same period last year, to 37.86 million tons, after Vale increased the pace of production. The volume shipped last month is the biggest since December 2015, when Brazil exported a monthly record of 39.5 million tons, according to the Ministry of Industry, Foreign Trade and Services.

Ratings agency Moody’s cut the United Kingdom’s debt rating on Friday over the huge economic hit from the coronavirus crisis, Brexit and the lack of clear budget plans from Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government.

The Brazilian government is set to discuss a proposal that would temporarily eliminate tariffs on corn and soy imports from countries outside the Mercosur trade bloc, as recently happened with rice, a staple of the Brazilian diet.

Argentina wants energy firms to invest some US$ 5 billion to boost hydrocarbon production and generate jobs in the country's prized Vaca Muerta shale play, as well as to bring in much-needed foreign currency.

Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean must continue to ratchet up stimulus to beat back the devastating economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, the UN agency ECLAC said in a report issued this week.

Brazilian exports of chicken, pork, and beef continue to be in high demand in 2020, according to data from the Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA) and the Brazilian Meat Packers Association (ABRAFRIGO). In September, however, while exports of beef and pork registered a positive performance in relation to the same month of 2019, chicken exports fell 2.3%.

Argentina's inflation accelerated slightly in September from August as some easing of quarantine restrictions allowed the economic activity to begin to recover. The consumer prices rose 2.8% in September and increased 36.6% from a year earlier, Argentina's Indec statistics agency said on Wednesday.

“Argentina faces very dramatic challenges, the country is in deep recession and social conditions are worsening”, was the response of IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva when asked about the difficult challenges faced by Argentina and if the current government has the political will and consensus to move forward with a plan to restore confidence.

Support for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom has risen to a record high of 58%, an Ipsos Mori poll released on Wednesday suggested. The poll of 1,045 adults aged over 16 across Scotland, conducted from Oct 2 to 9, saw only 42% back staying in the union once undecided voters were stripped out.