Mercosur

• Friday, September 10th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Latinamerica employment recovering.

  Urban unemployment in Latinamerica dropped to an average 10,9% during the first half of 2004 with the most significant reductions in Argentina, Uruguay and Venezuela, according to the latest release from the International Labour Office.

• Thursday, September 9th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Fed optimistic about US recovery

  United States economy is emerging from a recent summer lull and seems to be recovering full force, said Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan during a hearing this Wednesday before the House of Representatives Budget Committee.

• Thursday, September 9th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Record oil income year for Venezuela.

  Venezuela's oil industry sales could be in excess of 30 billion US dollars, according to the National Economic Council (CEN) and the Central Bank. CEN chairman Efrain Velasquez said the figures were based on results from Venezuela's balance of payments at the end of the first half of this year, when “petroleum exports generated $15 billion”.

• Thursday, September 9th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Uruguay expects promising season.

  The number of tourists visiting Uruguay during the first eight months of 2004 was 36% above the same period in 2003 and if the tendency continues could total over two million, according to the Uruguayan Ministry of Tourism.

• Thursday, September 9th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Bielsa calls for more “Antarctic cooperation”.

  Argentine Foreign Affairs Minister Rafael Bielsa last Tuesday called for a “more effective international cooperation” in Antarctica during the official inauguration of the Antarctic Treaty permanent Secretariat in Buenos Aires.

• Wednesday, September 8th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Pardelhas case re emerges in Punta Arenas.

  A Punta Arenas magistrate opened the way for the seizure and auctioning of two fishing vessels belonging to Pardelhas Fishing Company after ruling that the company owes maritime agent Ultramar the equivalent of 165,000 US dollars, reports La Prensa Austral.

• Wednesday, September 8th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Chilean salmon exports increase 22%

  Chilean salmon and trout exports reached 820 million US dollars during the first seven months of 2004, a 22% increase over the same period in 2003, according to SalmonChile A.G., the Chilean salmon industry association.

• Wednesday, September 8th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Record US budget deficit.

  United States federal budget deficit is forecasted to reach a record breaking 422 billion US dollars in 2004, according to the Congressional Budget Office, CBO. However the figure is below earlier estimates.

• Tuesday, September 7th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Red carpet for frigates buyer.

  Chilean Defence Minister Michele Bachelet received this week a privileged red carpet treatment in Holland where she was invited by her Dutch counterpart Henk Kamp and Secretary of State Cees van der Knaap.

• Tuesday, September 7th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  OPEC will keep reference prices unchanged.

  The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, will maintain the oil prices reference band unchanged in the coming meeting scheduled for September 15 in Vienna, said Purnomo Yusgiantoro, OPEC's president.