Economy

• Thursday, August 10th 2017 - 11:27 UTC

  Triple digit inflation in Venezuela: US dollar trades at 10.387 Bolivar; minimum wage 97.531 Bolivar

  

  The extreme volatility of Venezuela's exchange rate has the crisis-hit country's shop owners hurriedly marking up their merchandise and consumers balking at the higher price tags. Just last week, the Bolivar currency fell around 70% on the black market, according to DolarToday, the opaque U.S.-based website that dictates the black market rate.

• Thursday, August 10th 2017 - 09:59 UTC

  Argentine farmers investing heavily for the next planting season following on a record crop year

  

  Argentine farmers will increase investments in the next corn planting season despite fears about a political comeback for former President Cristina Fernandez, who implemented export taxes and restrictions despised by the sector, according to industry leaders.

• Thursday, August 10th 2017 - 09:43 UTC

  Fear of a Cristina Fernandez comeback has cost the Argentine central bank over a billion dollars

  

  The Argentine primary next Sunday when the different parties will choose their candidates for the midterm elections of 22 October, and the possibility of a comeback of ex president Cristina Fernandez, and all that she represents, has cost the Argentine central bank so far over a billion dollars in the last ten days.

• Thursday, August 10th 2017 - 07:47 UTC

  Washington imposes more sanctions in Venezuela: eight more top officials including a Chavez brother

  

  Washington imposed sanctions on eight Venezuelan officials on Wednesday for their role in creating an all-powerful legislative body loyal to President Nicolas Maduro, while a mayor-turned-fugitive called for more anti-government protests. The new U.S. sanctions targeted politicians (including a brother of ex leader Hugo Chavez) and security figures but stopped short of actions against Venezuela's vital oil industry.

• Wednesday, August 9th 2017 - 06:39 UTC

  Beef and ethanol back in the EU/Mercosur agenda in October meeting

  

  Beef will be back on the menu this October as the European Union seeks to finalise a trade deal with Mercosur. The European Commission will offer Mercosur new beef import quotas at reduced tariff rates during a formal round of trade talks in the first week of October in Brussels, EU sources confirmed.

• Tuesday, August 8th 2017 - 20:08 UTC

  UK big business lobby calls for a Brexit “transitional, interim or bridging” deal

  

  Britain should consider pushing back the 2019 Brexit deadline as the simplest way to managing all the trade deals and other arrangements for leaving the European Union, business leaders urged on Friday.

• Tuesday, August 8th 2017 - 20:00 UTC

  Brazilian economy on course to a modest growth (2%) next year

  

  Brazilian Central Bank President Ilan Goldfajn said that Latin America's largest economy remains weak though it is on course to show modest growth next year. In an interview with a São Paulo radio station, he said Brazil may achieve growth of 2% in 2018 if the economy continues expanding at its current pace.

• Tuesday, August 8th 2017 - 17:46 UTC

  Uruguay:British companies and agri-tech experts presented solutions for the agricultural sector.

  

  On 28 July, British agri-tech experts and companies presented their work, products and services to Uruguayan companies and institutions at an event hosted at the British Residence.

• Tuesday, August 8th 2017 - 17:28 UTC

  Petrobras cuts gasoline prices to regain market share lost to imports

  

  Brazil's Petrobras has reduced prices for the gasoline it sells in Brazil to below parity with the fuel imported from the United States, reducing profit margins to regain market share. The company has sharply reduced the price gap between the value of gasoline sold at its refineries and the spot price in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico since early July, when it announced changes to its pricing to adopt almost daily adjustments, according to fuel market experts.

• Tuesday, August 8th 2017 - 17:05 UTC

  Greenspan warns of a bubble in the bond market: low interest rates about to end

  

  Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan issued a bold warning that the bond market is on the cusp of a collapse that also will threaten stock prices. The longtime central bank chief said the prolonged period of low interest rates is about to end and, with it, a bull market in fixed income that has lasted more than three decades.