Economy

• Friday, August 9th 2019 - 08:27 UTC

  Soybean sales in Brazil booming helped by a weaker currency and port premiums

  

  The price of Brazilian soybeans in local currency reached the highest level in almost two months, driven by a spike in port premiums for soybeans and a weaker currency, both caused by the trade dispute between China and the United States.

• Friday, August 9th 2019 - 07:56 UTC

  Despite the trade dispute, China's exports rose 3.3% during July

  

  Chinese exports rose unexpectedly in July, beating expectations for a fall, as trade tensions with the US continued to simmer. Official figures showed exports rose 3.3% last month, compared to forecasts for a 2% drop. Imports fell 5.6% in July, less than the expected 8.3% decline.

• Thursday, August 8th 2019 - 22:50 UTC

  World food security increasingly at risk due to 'unprecedented' climate change impact, new UN report warns

  

  More than 500 million people today live in areas affected by erosion linked to climate change, the UN warned on Thursday, before urging all countries to commit to sustainable land use to help limit greenhouse gas emissions before it is too late.

• Thursday, August 8th 2019 - 22:22 UTC

  UN rights chief bemoans unilateral sanctions on Venezuela, fearing ‘far-reaching implications’

  

  A new set of unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States on Venezuela this week prompted the concern of the United Nations’ top rights official on Thursday, who said in a statement that she feared they would have a “potentially severe impact” on the human rights of the South American nation’s “long-suffering” people.

• Thursday, August 8th 2019 - 09:59 UTC

  Boris Johnson talks to Chilean president Piñera about trade and bilateral close links

  

  Chilean president Sebastián Piñera revealed that last Thursday he had a phone call from UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and they discussed bilateral issues.

• Thursday, August 8th 2019 - 06:58 UTC

  Auto production in Brazil jumps, but exports to Argentina are down 38.4%

  

  Automobile production in Brazil jumped 14.2% and sales grew 9.1% in July from June, the best performance for the month since 2014, the national automakers’ association Anfavea said on Tuesday.

• Wednesday, August 7th 2019 - 09:58 UTC

  Brazil's record on pesticides and weed killers could create problems for the Mercosur/EU trade agreement

  

  Brazil's agriculture minister on Tuesday defended a record number of pesticide and weedkiller approvals this year, saying the government was not “putting poison on anyone's plate.”

• Wednesday, August 7th 2019 - 09:33 UTC

  Trump vows to protect US farmers against China and promises further aid

  

  US President Donald Trump on Tuesday vowed to protect US farmers against China by signaling to provide further aid if needed, a day after Chinese firms stopped agricultural purchases and Beijing threatened more tariffs on US farm products.

• Wednesday, August 7th 2019 - 08:50 UTC

  United States need an independent Federal Reserve

  

  The following article was published 6 August, in the Wall Street Journal, signed by ex-Fed chiefs Paul Volcker, Alan Greenspan, Ben Bernanke and Janet Yellen. Basically, it states that the US economy functions best when the central bank is free of short-term political pressures.

• Wednesday, August 7th 2019 - 08:44 UTC

  Sino/US clash eases: Beijing supports Yuan and Washington pledges to continue trade talks

  

  Asian shares steadied slightly on Wednesday as investors caught their breath from a searing week-long selloff, with steps taken by Chinese authorities to contain a sliding Yuan helping calm fears of a full-blown Sino-U.S. trade and currency war.