Mercosur

• Thursday, October 23rd 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Chile linked to the world's main trade blocks

  Following the approval this Wednesday by the Chilean Senate of the Free Trade Treaty with United States that was signed last June, Chilean Foreign Affairs Minister Soledad Alvear underlined that the “ratification of the treaty means the job has been done”.

• Thursday, October 23rd 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Repsol-YPF to increase investments in Patagonia

  Repsol-YPF announced in Buenos Aires that the Spanish-Argentine consortium has plans to invest the equivalent of 750 million US dollars in the coming fiscal year in further exploration and exploitation in the continental shelf of Patagonia.

• Thursday, October 23rd 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  US warns China on trade

  United States Trade Representative Robert Zoellick who this week visited Beijing, threatened China with closing US markets to Chinese exports if local authorities do not begin with strong reciprocity actions towards American exports.

• Thursday, October 23rd 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  IMF praises Brazil but unemployment remains strong

  The International Monetary Fund, IMF, praised Brazil this week for its achievements, “exceeding the most optimistic expectations” of the multilateral organization. However Brazil has not yet hinted whether it will renew a 30,4 billion US dollars stand-by credit line agreed in September 2002.

• Wednesday, October 22nd 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Blame it on VAT.

  An overall favourable reaction to Chile's economic prospects, both of the country and individually, was recorded in the latest opinion poll released by the Business Department of the University of Chile.

• Wednesday, October 22nd 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Record US budget deficit.

  The United States budget deficit for the financial year ended September 30 reached a new historic record: 374,2 billion US dollars, double the 2002 deficit and greater that the 1992 all time record of 290 billion US dollars.

• Tuesday, October 21st 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Brazilian president signals revamp of poverty campaign.

  Nearly a year after he was swept to power on pledges of radical social change, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil's president, on Monday announced an overhaul of his poverty-eradication programme.

• Tuesday, October 21st 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Merval historic record.

  The leading stock market index in Argentina has hit its highest ever level since opening for business in 1986.

• Tuesday, October 21st 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Chile will not cede “sovereignty” to Bolivia

  The Chilean government discarded any possibility of ceding territorial sovereignty in exchange for Bolivia exporting natural gas through Chile.

• Tuesday, October 21st 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  APEC favours resumption of multilateral trade negotiations

  Twenty one Asian and Pacific leaders ended this Tuesday a summit in Bangkok, Thailand, calling for increased measures against terrorism and agreed to support the resumption of trade talks in the framework of WTO, which collapsed last month in Mexico.