Mercosur

• Wednesday, September 12th 2012 - 19:42 UTC

  A comment on the anniversary of the Chilean coup

  

  By Trent Boultinghouse - This week marked the 39th anniversary of the Chilean coup d’etat that ousted the constitutional president of Chile, Salvador Allende, from office and gave rise to the vicious dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet. Pinochet was known for his adherence as an unabashed apostle to a hard-lined laissez-faire free market economic policy that was widely seen as the impetus for Chile’s economic revival.

• Wednesday, September 12th 2012 - 19:28 UTC

  Falklands’ capital expands south anticipating housing demand from oil developers

  

  Anticipating a greater demand for housing from oil developers and support activities the Falkland Islands government is advancing plans to further expand Stanley. Additional funding to take in phase two of the Sapper Hill housing development to the south of Stanley has been approved by the Standing Finance Committee totalling £1.3 million for a further 27 housing plots.

• Wednesday, September 12th 2012 - 15:28 UTC

  Falklands’ individual average annual income totals £ 20.100, shows Census

  

  The individual average annual income of the Falkland Islands residents totals £ 20.100 (approx 32.000 US dollars) according to data from the latest 2012 Census, which also showed an exceptionally high economic activity rate and a very tight labour market with just 1% unemployment and 20% of residents with a second job.

• Saturday, September 8th 2012 - 05:26 UTC

  Bolivia will formally request Mercosur full membership in 2013

  

  Bolivia will begin the coming year formal talks for full membership of Mercosur, for which it has the support from Uruguay, said diplomatic sources from both countries, Bolivian Deputy Foreign minister Juan Carlos Alurralde met with his Uruguayan counterpart Roberto Conde in the framework of the “Bolivia-Uruguay coordination and consultation mechanism” sixth meeting in La Paz.

• Friday, September 7th 2012 - 03:15 UTC

  Argentina achieves 12-month trade surplus target in August with 10.04bn dollars

  

  Argentina's trade surplus rose to 1.64 billion dollars in August, more than double the surplus in the same month a year ago achieving the twelve months target four months ahead, President Cristina Fernandez announced on Thursday.

• Thursday, September 6th 2012 - 06:35 UTC

  Patriota defends Mercosur decisions on Paraguay before the Brazilian congress

  

  Brazilian Foreign minister Antonio Patriota strongly defended the decision to suspend Paraguay from Mercosur following the removal of Fernando Lugo from the presidency, as well as the incorporation of Venezuela as full member of the trade group.

• Thursday, September 6th 2012 - 06:28 UTC

  Two Uruguayan ex-presidents openly support the new Paraguayan authorities

  

  Uruguayan former presidents Jorge Batlle and Luis Alberto Lacalle came in support of the current Paraguayan authorities and political process and claimed the only “coup” was that of Mercosur against Paraguay. They also questioned the removed president Fernando Lugo’s ‘pitiful reaction’ and statements.

• Wednesday, September 5th 2012 - 05:40 UTC

  Brazil applies 25% tariff increase on 100 imported goods; another 100 list in the making

  

  The Brazilian government approved a 25% tariff increase on an additional list of 100 goods from outside Mercosur and at the same time announced the implementation of a monitoring scheme for those items’ prices in the domestic market to avoid unduly increases.

• Wednesday, September 5th 2012 - 00:14 UTC

  EC regrets stances of “protectionism” and “populism” in some Mercosur members

  

  The president of the European Commission Jose Durao Barroso said on Tuesday that the EU 27 members still want to reach a free trade agreement with Mercosur, but warned that the “protectionist stances” from some of its members makes it difficult.

• Tuesday, September 4th 2012 - 06:26 UTC

  Mercosur faces “great problems and internal divisions” making talks with EU “difficult”

  

  French Foreign Trade minister Nicole Bricq said that there are “great problems” in the current negotiations between the EU and Mercosur to reach an association agreement which also includes a free trade chapter.