Mercosur

• Tuesday, October 23rd 2018 - 17:51 UTC

  Argentina hopeful about Mercosur-EU deal at G-20 Summit

  

  Argentine Production and Labour Minister Dante Sica Monday said in Madrid he was confident the European Union and the South American Mercosur trade bloc would reach an agreement “as soon as possible,” hopefully by the G-20 Summit in Buenos Aires in late November.

• Friday, October 12th 2018 - 09:05 UTC

  Bolsonaro pledges support for a non ideologized Mercosur; praises Macri for ousting Dilma Kirchner

  

  Brazil’s far-right presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro has promised to continue his country's participation in the Mercosur trading bloc but says he will move it away from “ideology”.“The Mercosur has value but it was disfigured by the PT (Brazil's Workers' Party)”, Bolsonaro said at a press conference in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday. “I won’t abandon the Mercosur but it won’t continue to be guided by ideology”, he added.

• Sunday, October 7th 2018 - 05:24 UTC

  Bolsonaro clearly ahead for Sunday's vote in Brazil, leading with 40% intention

  

  Pollster Datafolha released on Saturday evening its latest vote intention survey for Brazil's presidential election on Sunday 7 October, and it shows extreme right candidate Jair Bolsonaro leading with 40%, followed by Fernando Haddad from the Workers Party with 25% and Ciro Gomes, another left wing hopeful with 15%.

• Friday, October 5th 2018 - 09:22 UTC

  “My flag is the union of the Brazilian people, defend the family and combat violence”, pledges Bolsonaro

  

  Jair Bolsonaro, Brazilian extreme right presidential candidate is leading in opinion polls and also has good strategists. On prime time Thursday when the seventh and last debate of presidential candidates, which he did not attend on medical recommendations, Bolsonaro had a long interview aired at the same time, at his home, in which contrary to his firebrand rhetoric he transmitted a clearly conciliatory message.

• Tuesday, September 25th 2018 - 19:04 UTC

  Argentine Central bank governor resigns for personal reasons: Peso slides 5% against the US dollar

  

  The governor of Argentina's central bank, Luis Caputo resigned on Tuesday for personal reasons, the bank said in a statement, a surprise announcement in the midst of the country's talks with the IMF that sent the peso tumbling. Former finance minister Caputo has only held the role since June and is the second Argentine central bank president to resign this year. Argentina's peso currency slid 4.65% to open at 39.15 per U.S. dollar after the announcement, traders said.

• Tuesday, September 11th 2018 - 15:31 UTC

  Lula's party expected to announce Haddad as the presidential candidate

  

  Jailed former Brazilian president Lula da Silva is expected to allow his Workers Party to announce running mate Fernando Haddad as its candidate, following the latest ruling from the Supreme Court. Lula had hoped the Justices would agree to an appeal for more time to switch the head of the Workers Party (PT) ticket after Brazil’s top electoral court last week banned him from running due to a corruption conviction and gave him 10 days to remove his name.

• Monday, September 3rd 2018 - 19:17 UTC

  Macri admits the seriousness of the situation and Dujovne is off to meet with IMF

  

  President Mauricio Macri unveiled plans on Monday to raise export taxes on grains and slash the number of government ministries in a bid to balance its budget next year, as Argentina seeks a deal with the IMF to accelerate a US$ 50 billion standby loan program.

• Saturday, September 1st 2018 - 08:00 UTC

  Mercosur expecting a “move” from the EU at this month's negotiations in Montevideo

  

  Brazil's Foreign Minister Aloysio Nunes said he expects more “movement” from the European Union as long running talks on a free trade deal with his South American bloc Mercosur head into the home stretch.

• Monday, August 27th 2018 - 06:58 UTC

  Auto industry, beef and sugar, remain hurdles for a Mercosur/EU deal

  

  Negotiators of a free trade deal between the European Union and Mercosur want to wrap up by September, but differences over beef, sugar and the auto industry could dash those hopes, Brazilian foreign minister Aloysio Nunes said. Issues over intellectual property, rules of origin and marine shipping services also need to be nailed down, Nunes said in an interview.

• Thursday, August 16th 2018 - 22:42 UTC

  Brazil corn production next season could reach a first time 100m tons

  

  Brazilian farmers are expected to plant a record amount of soybean acres this coming season, encouraged by strong demand from China, and yield a record harvest next year, consultancy Céleres said in its first forecast for the new cycle. The next crop cycle in Brazil, the world's No. 1 soybean exporter, begins in September.