Mercosur

• Friday, January 14th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  “Mercosur is more than a market agreement”

  Uruguay's President-elect Tabaré Vázquez yesterday met with President Néstor Kirchner in Government House, on his first trip abroad since he won office in the October 31 election.

• Friday, January 14th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Chile, Panama: free trade talks.

  Panama and Chile agreed Thursday to restart free trade negotiations that were set aside under former President Mireya Moscoso.

• Thursday, January 13th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  EU lifts north Argentina FAM ban

  Experts from the European Union supported ending bovine meat imports restrictions from four Argentine northern provinces which have been effective since early 2003 to avoid the spread of foot and mouth disease.

• Thursday, January 13th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentina launches defaulted debt package.

  Argentina officially presented Wednesday in Buenos Aires its defaulted debt new package offer and stated that if it manages a 50% acceptance from creditors, “we will have restructured two thirds of the country's total debt” and the “default process will have concluded”.

• Thursday, January 13th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Brazil promises to support US dollar and exporters.

  The Brazilian government worried with a weak dollar and its impact on exports announced its decision to counter the appreciation of the local currency.

• Thursday, January 13th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Fishermen suffered huge material toll from Tsunami.

  The Indian Ocean tsunami disaster that came from the sea exacted an inordinate toll from those that live from the sea beyond its deadly haul of 160,000 lives, destroying tens of thousands of fishing boats and other equipment that were the only source of income for many, according to United Nations figures released today.

• Thursday, January 13th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Euro Zone and UK rates unchanged

  The European Central Bank (ECB) and the Bank of England this Thursday left their key interest rates unchanged at 2% and 4.75%, respectively, deterred by weak economic growth and a strong euro.

• Wednesday, January 12th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Brazil/Argentina axis “will not yield to US”

  Brazilian Foreign Affairs Minister Celso Amorim believes United States will not be signing a bilateral agreement with Mercosur because the Brazil/Argentina axis “won't accept just any offer”, contrary to what has happened with most other countries which have sat to the negotiating table with Washington.

• Wednesday, January 12th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  195,393 tourists visited Ushuaia in 2004

  Ushuaia in Argentine Tierra del Fuego attracted 195,303 tourists during 2004 (an 8% increase over 2003), and responding to a growing demand will have increased its hosting capacity by 65% at mid year, reports the Argentine press.

• Tuesday, January 11th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentina: Fisheries News

  Headlines:
  Controversial hake quota allocation; Fishing exports generated USD 742 million up to December 2004.