Economy

Tuesday, December 12th 2017 - 10:34 UTC
Mercosur/EU hurdles remain, and a deal announcement might not be reached this week

Free-trade talks between the European Union and Mercosur still face hurdles over beef and ethanol, and an expected deal announcement this week might not happen, officials involved in negotiations admitted on Monday. Mercosur diplomats on the sidelines of the World Trade Organization ministerial meeting in Buenos Aires said EU officials had not presented improved offers on EU tariff-free imports for beef and ethanol as promised.
Tuesday, December 12th 2017 - 09:02 UTC
Irish and French argue “a win for Mercosur in agriculture is a loss for EU farmers”

Irish MEP and vice-president of the European Parliament Mairead McGuinness is representing the European Parliament at the ministerial assembly on the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Argentina, which began on Sunday, and has warned that rushing towards a Mercosur/European Union deal would jeopardize the EU beef industry.
Tuesday, December 12th 2017 - 08:51 UTC
Welsh Labour MP calls for a second referendum on final Brexit deal

A Welsh Labour MP is calling for a second referendum on the final Brexit deal because the “British people should have the last word”. Geraint Davies' backbench bill offering a vote on whether to accept the deal negotiated between the UK and the EU was published in detail on Monday.
Tuesday, December 12th 2017 - 08:33 UTC
Scottish Brexit minister calls for “basic answers” to the UK/EU deal

Scottish Brexit minister Mike Russell has called for “basic answers” about the deal struck with European leaders ahead of talks with UK ministers. Mr Russell is in London for a summit with members of the UK government and the other devolved administrations.
Tuesday, December 12th 2017 - 08:13 UTC
Peruvian president admits working for Odebrecht, as financial advisor or irrigation project

Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski acknowledged that he worked as a financial adviser for an irrigation project owned by the Brazilian builder Odebrecht, contradicting his previous denials of having any links to the company. Odebrecht is at the center of Latin America’s biggest graft scandal and has admitted to paying about US$ 30 million in bribes to secure contracts in Peru over a decade.
Monday, December 11th 2017 - 16:37 UTC
Futures market for Bitcoins took off on Sunday at Chicago Board Options Exchange

The first-ever Bitcoin future jumped after it began trading on Sunday as the increasingly popular virtual currency made its debut on a major U.S. exchange. The futures contract that expires in January surged more than US$3,000 to US$18,010 four hours after trading launched on the Chicago Board Options Exchange. The contract opened at US$15,000, according to data from the CBOE.
Monday, December 11th 2017 - 16:02 UTC
UK fishermen urge call for a short Brexit transition period: nine month is enough

Fishermen's leaders have urged ministers to rule out a long Brexit transition as officials meet in Brussels for fish quota talks. The Scottish Fishermen's Federation (SFF) said only a nine-month transition period was needed for UK fleets to leave the Common Fisheries Policy.
Monday, December 11th 2017 - 15:50 UTC
US economy closer to full employment as job growth remains steady

United States jobs growth was better than expected in November, with payrolls rising by 228,000. Service, health care and manufacturing firms helped to drive the gains, holding the unemployment rate held steady at 4.1%.
Monday, December 11th 2017 - 15:36 UTC
EU/Japan sign free trade deal comprising 30% of global GDP and reaffirm rejection of protectionism

The European Union and Japan have concluded negotiations on a giant free trade deal that they said was reached while “fighting the temptation of protectionism”, a message apparently directed at U.S. President Donald Trump. The deal, which the EU called its biggest ever, must be signed and ratified by both sides.
Monday, December 11th 2017 - 15:10 UTC
Brazilian 2017 inflation below target for the first time in two decades

Brazil's monthly inflation eased more-than-expected in November after accelerating in the previous month, mainly due to the continued fall in food prices, preliminary data from IBGE showed on Friday. The consumer price index rose 0.28% month-on-month following 0.42% in October.