
Mercosur/European Union trade agreement signing delayed because of a demand from France for guarantees referred to as “environmental and health standards” from country members of the South American block.

OECD’s environmental policy committee canceled a planned discussion this week about upgrading Brazil’s status in the group, the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper reported, citing a document.

US workers earning US$ 60,000 per year should receive stimulus checks, said Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Sunday. The exact details of how it should be targeted are to be determined, but struggling middle class families need help, Yellen said on CNN’s State of the Union.

The chief of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva said on Friday that the fund is working towards reaching an agreement on a new loan deal with Argentina and the next round of meetings will focus on the details. However, “'it takes two to tango' so both sides need to do our part and find the pathway to an agreement, and we are not yet at that point.”

Mexico’s economy contracted 8.5% in 2020, the largest single-year drop since 1932 and the second consecutive year of economic contraction, worsened due to the Covid-19’s pandemic. Latin America's second economy, the gross domestic product grew 3.1% in the final three months of the year, according to preliminary data released on Friday by the National Statistics and Geography Institute.

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the Falkland Islands increased by 15.7% between 2017 and 2018 (in nominal terms), primarily driven by high results within the fishing sector that year, according to the recently released Falkland Islands National Accounts.

Global food prices rose in January for the eighth consecutive month, led by cereals, vegetable oils and sugar, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Brazil expects to harvest bumper soybean and corn crops in spite of planting and harvesting delays in 2020. A drought late last year delayed sowing of Brazil’s soybeans, and excess rainfall disrupted harvesting in January. This delayed delivery of grain to trading companies and affected Brazil’s ability to export.

Despite a recent accord with the government regarding corn exports, Argentine farmers are again on alert following statements from officials who did not rule out the possibility of increasing taxes on food exports as part of its effort to control high inflation.

Fracking activity in Vaca Muerta, Argentina shot up in January to its highest level in 17 months, according to the Argentine unit of Houston-based services company NCS Multistage.