Argentina's industrial output contracted 6.7% in April compared with the same month last year, the country's newly revamped Indec statistics agency said, punctuating the effect of recent fiscal austerity measures.
President Mauricio Macri's administration announced the end of restrictions on imports into Argentina, with the current controls of 'sworn statements' or DJAI, replaced by a system of automatic and semi-automatic licences.
Argentine May industrial activity was up 0.4% over April but down 3.8% in May compared to a year ago and in the first five months of 2015 has contracted 2.6%, according to the monthly survey from the Argentine Industrial Union, UIA, released on Wednesday.
Argentina's top officials will meet on Thursday with representatives from the Argentine Industrial Union, UIA, to discuss some clauses and aspects of the recent agreements signed between China and Argentina last week, and which have been questioned by the manufacturers' lobby.
Lawmaker and member of the Argentine Industrial Union (UIA) José Ignacio de Mendiguren said that inflation is not 40% as some private indexes say, but he pointed out that it is not around 24% as the government says either. “I think it is over 30%,” he said.
The head of the Argentina's powerful manufacturing lobby, UIA, Hector Mendez fired harsh words against Economy Minister Axel Kicillof stressing “his post is still too big for him”, but admitted he 'has advanced' in the last twelve months.
Mercosur leaders called for dialogue with the Pacific Alliance over its perception that Mercosur is becoming an obstacle to integration and wider growth in the region. Uruguayan Vice-President Danilo Astori seemingly sparked the debate a few weeks ago when he said that “Mercosur mustn’t be a terminal station,” calling for formal trade deals with the Pacific Alliance.
According to the Argentine Industrial Union (UIA), industrial production in the country fell 3.4% in April compared to the same month of 2013. Considering the first four months of 2014, the industry dropped 2.2% versus the same period last year.
President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner ratified on Wednesday that Argentina will continue to pay all its financial obligations and described as “absolutely unfair” the ruling from Judge Thomas Griesa who favoured the hedge funds to the detriment of 93% of bondholders who joined the 2005 and 2010 debt swaps.
Brazilian Executive special advisor on International Affairs, Marco Aurelio Garcia anticipated that at the coming summit in Lima, the Union of South American Nations, Unasur, would not lift the suspension on Paraguay which will hold until April’s election.