Mercosur

• Tuesday, May 25th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile's import tariff averages 2,4%

  The tariff reductions agreed by Chile in the several trade accords reached with United States, European Union among others, is forcing the average effective import tariff to continue decreasing, having reached 2,4% last March

• Monday, May 24th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Magallanes exports increase 18%

  In spite of suffering a 1% economic contraction in the first quarter of this year, compared to the same period in 2003, Magallanes Region exports jumped 18%, according to the latest release by the Regional Chilean Finance Ministry Representative and the National Statistics Office.

• Monday, May 24th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Fuel smuggling from Argentina

  Magallanes energy distributors are warning local authorities of an incipient but growing contraband of fuel from neighbouring Argentine Patagonia where gasoline costs half the price.

• Monday, May 24th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  160,000 Chileans reside in Argentina

  Just over 200,000 Chileans actually reside in Central and South America according to the latest poll of registered Chileans overseas taken by the Foreign Affairs Ministry in collaboration with the National Statistics Office.

• Monday, May 24th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  G7 calls for more oil; Opec decides in June

  Finance ministers from the seven highly industrialized countries, G 7, called for lower oil prices at the end of their meeting this weekend in New York.

• Monday, May 24th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Former IMF head president of Germany

  Horst Kohler a former Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund and running as an opposition candidate was elected Germany's new president for a five year mandate

• Monday, May 24th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Active volcano in Antarctic waters

  A team of US and Canadian scientists discovered an active and previously unknown submarine volcano in the extreme north of the Antarctic Peninsula, very close to the Argentine Army base of Good Hope.

• Friday, May 21st 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Ecuador's oil industry 3 billion US dollars short

  Petroecuador, Ecuador's government owned oil company needs 3 billion US dollars in investment if the Andean country is to reach overall average daily production of 670,000 barrels (bpd) by 2010 according to oil expert Ramon Espinasa.

• Friday, May 21st 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Greenspan proposed for fifth term

  United States president George Bush officially re-nominated Alan Greenspan for another four years as chairman of the US Federal Reserve. Mr. Greenspan who is 78 has already been in the job for four terms.

• Friday, May 21st 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Santiago in smog emergency.

  Santiago de Chile declared this Thursday an environmental pre-emergency limiting vehicle circulation to 40% of the city's transport fleet (both cars and buses) and temporary shutting down 500 to 900 factories in the metropolitan area.