Mercosur

• Tuesday, August 30th 2011 - 03:42 UTC

  Business leaders and organized labour ignore Argentina’s official inflation index

  

  Following the agreement which raised the Argentine minimum wage by 25%, equivalent to 549 dollars per month, business leaders and representatives from the labour unions admitted that when it comes to salaries negotiations the official inflation index from the government statistics office, Indec, “is not taken into account”.

• Tuesday, August 30th 2011 - 03:39 UTC

  Argentina expects another car production record next year: a million units

  

  The Argentine automobile industry will expand its production capacity to a million units annually by 2012 following on the expected record production of 840.000 this year boosted by domestic demand and exports to brazil, said Anibal Borderes president of the country’s Automobile Manufacturers Association, Adefa.

• Monday, August 29th 2011 - 08:34 UTC

  Brazil loosing industry to Mercosur members with cheaper costs and lower taxes

  

  Brazilian business and manufacturing leaders are demanding a “fiscal harmonization” of the Mercosur block since other full members are attracting a growing number of Brazilian companies to those countries lured by cheap energy and qualified labour.

• Friday, August 26th 2011 - 03:26 UTC

  “Chavez’ Venezuela has no chance of joining Mercosur” says Paraguay Congress

  

  Paraguay’s vote in support of Venezuela’s full integration to Mercosur seems more distant than ever as was confirmed by the country’s Senate Foreign Relations committee to Brazilian ambassador Eduardo Dos Santos.

• Friday, August 26th 2011 - 03:22 UTC

  Mercosur/Israel trade deal comes into effect following Argentina’s signature

  

  A free trade agreement between Israel and Argentina is set to come into effect on September 9, the Israeli Industry, Trade and Labour Ministry announced this week.

• Monday, August 22nd 2011 - 07:32 UTC

  In spite of global crisis, leading Spanish bank optimistic about Latam outlook

  

  In spite of world turbulences the Latin America economy will expand 4.8% in 2011 and 4% in 2012 and 2013 boosted by the high price for commodities and strong domestic demand, according to the Spanish bank BBVA, on its “Latinamerica report”.

• Monday, August 22nd 2011 - 07:28 UTC

  Argentina expected to approve the use of Bayer GM soy-seeds

  

  Mercosur full member Argentina this week is expected to approve the use of genetically-modified soy seeds made by German company Bayer as part of its push to increase farm production, a top Argentine official said on the weekend.

• Saturday, August 20th 2011 - 06:37 UTC

  Feisty Uruguay wins respect from neighbours and investors

  

  The following feature piece from Reuters written by Hillary Burke and Malena Castaldi gives an idea of Uruguay’s international standing.

• Tuesday, August 9th 2011 - 12:55 UTC

  To face the crisis, it is necessary to act with “the criteria of a good housewife”

  

  Uruguayan President Jose Mujica said Monday that the developed world financial scenario is quite disappointing almost regrettable, and recovery in those countries can be expected to be “very slow and full of uncertainties”

• Tuesday, August 9th 2011 - 07:26 UTC

  Canada-Brazil CEO forum to consider trade agreement with Mercosur

  

  Visiting Canadian Primer Minister Stephen Harper and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff signed on Monday several agreements on air travel, pension benefits, international aid and other areas at the Planalto Executive palace in Brasilia.