
Business owners in the city of Gualeguaychú in the Argentine province of Entre Ríos are foreseeing increasing losses after the latest economic measures by President Javier Milei's administration have resulted in fewer Uruguayans crossing the border to do their shopping as prices are no longer considerably lower.

A study released Sunday by the Argentine Confederation of Medium-Sized Companies (CAME) showed a 25.5% interannual decline at constant prices in retail sales in Argentina and a 27% drop for the first two months of 2024, it was reported in Buenos Aires. The Index of Retail Sales of SMEs also mentioned a 7.4% setback from January, when a 6.4% monthly decrease had been recorded.

Argentine President Javier Milei Friday announced he was summoning the governors of the 23 provinces plus the mayor of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires as well as former heads of state and other political leaders to sign on the national May 25 holiday what he named “the May Pact,” a foundational agreement whereby the rules of the country's future would be laid out. He launched this appeal during his speech opening the 142nd Legislature.

According to a report released Friday by Brazil’s Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the gross domestic product (GDP) in South America's largest country grew by 2.9% in 2023 driven by a record 15.1% expansion in the agricultural sector. It was the most significant leap since the beginning of the series in 1995. Industry (1.6%) and services (2.4%) also saw an improvement.

Reports released Thursday showed contrasting realities between South America's two largest countries. While consumption grew 1.2% interannually in January, according to the Brazilian Association of Supermarkets (Abras), the situation was quite the opposite in Argentina due to rampant inflation outpacing wage updates.

Argentina's President Javier Milei, ahead of his first appearance before the Congress of the Nation for the opening of ordinary sessions, has signaled a proactive approach to economic reform. In an interview with the Financial Times, Milei emphasized his intent to implement reforms “by decree,” citing challenges in garnering parliamentary support due to the current composition.

Paraguayan President Santiago Peña, who holds the pro-tempore presidency of the South American Common Market (Mercosur), ruled out Wednesday in Madrid an agreement with the European Union (EU) this year while insisting that his trip to Spain was more to offer than to ask.

Thousands of air travelers were stranded Wednesday as workers of the Argentine airline industry went on strike for 24 hours in rejection of a 12% wage increase that in no way matches the country's rampant inflation.

Argentina's Luis 'Toto' Caputo and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva met Wednesday in Sao Paulo on the sides of the two-day G20 summit of Economy Ministers. The gathering took place less than a week after the visit to Buenos Aires of the IMF Managing Director Gita Gopinath, with whom Caputo and President Javier Milei discussed a new agreement on the South American country's debt.

Brazil's Development Bank, BNDES, with a larger annual turnover than the World Bank is propping the country's manufacturing exports with new incentives tailored to support companies engaged in global trade. Under the new conditions the bank is implementing a substantial reduction of up to 60% in the spread of operations within the BNDES Exim Pre-shipment line.