Mercosur

• Thursday, November 18th 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  Chile plans free trade talks with Japan and China.

  Chile and Japan will begin feasibility studies with the purpose of reaching a free trade agreement, announced Wednesday Foreign Affairs minister Ignacio Walker after meeting with his Japanese counterpart Nobutaka Machimura in the framework of contacts previous to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum which is scheduled for this weekend.

• Thursday, November 18th 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  Kirchner will visit Chile end of the month.

  Argentine president Nestor Kirchner will finally be making a state visit to Chile next November 30, revealed Argentine Defence Minister Jose Pampuro.

• Thursday, November 18th 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentine fisheries exports contract 5,8%

  Argentine fisheries exports during the first nine months of this year dropped 5,8% compared to the same period in 2003, mainly because of a significant contraction in shellfish and mollusc sales.

• Thursday, November 18th 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  New airline begins flights to Punta Arenas in December.

  Chilean Civil Aviation Council unanimously decided this Wednesday to authorize Aerolíneas del Sur (Aerolíneas Austral Chile S.A.) to operate in the Chilean domestic and international air markets as a Chilean company.

• Thursday, November 18th 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  Brazilian industry criticize agreements with China

  Brazilian industry expressed concern Wednesday over a possible “invasion” of Chinese products following President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's decision granting the Asian giant “market economy” status.

• Wednesday, November 17th 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  IVM foundation organizing new meeting

  International Village Meetings, IVP, a foundation dedicated to bringing together and integrating teenagers from Argentina, Chile and Falkland Islands, and which suspended activities in 2001 when the collapse of the Argentine economy is back recruiting volunteers for another meeting in the coming months.

• Wednesday, November 17th 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  Latinamerican growth prospects soar

  Latinamerica and the Caribbean will be expanding 4,7% in 2004, a full percentage point more that last April's forecast according to the World Bank.

• Wednesday, November 17th 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  Most legal residents in Spain from Latinamerica

  The number of legal immigrants in Spain at the end of last September reached over 1,8 million, that is 12,1% above last January and with Latin-Americans as the most numerous community according to a report from the Immigration Standing Observatory released Tuesday in Madrid.

• Wednesday, November 17th 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  US promises draconian budget to reduce deficit

  United States is determined to reduce its budget deficit said Treasury Secretary John Snow who admitted that the current misbalance is “too significant”.

• Wednesday, November 17th 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  China will finance Argentine infrastructure

  China announced Tuesday in Buenos Aires that it intends to invest 19,7 billion US dollars in Argentina over the next decade with the money going mainly into infrastructure projects and home building.