Economic activity in Brazil fell for a third straight month in August, Central Bank data showed, adding to evidence of a steeper-than-expected recession in the country. The figures were unveiled on the same day the government dismissed rumors over the resignation of Finance Minister Joaquim Levy.
Brazil is still by far the largest economy in Latin America despite its recession and the impact of the devaluation of the Real, according to the latest report from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which said Venezuela dropped to the position of the region’s seventh-largest economy with a GDP that’s now half the size of Colombia’s.
Inflation in Brazil has eased for second consecutive month, which takes some pressure of the central bank to hike rates further. The Real has also gained pace last month after the central bank promised to do whatever it takes to stem the Brazilian currency's slide. The Real has strengthened to 3.84 per dollar after touching new all-time high of 4.247 per dollar only a couple of weeks ago.
The International Monetary Fund said today that it now expects Latin America's economy to shrink 0.3% this year instead of growing 0.5%, largely due to a steep recession in Brazil and slumping commodity prices. It would be the first recession for the Latin American and Caribbean region since 2009.
Brazil’s auto industry produced 174,200 units last month, down 19.5% from August and a whopping 42.1% from September 2014, the national Association of Car Manufacturers, or Anfavea, said on Tuesday.
Economists again cut their outlook for Brazil's economic performance for this year, as consumer and business confidence continue at historic low levels. Brazil's GDP is expected to contract 2.85% this year, according to a weekly central-bank survey of 100 economists, compared with expectations last week for a contraction of 2.80%.
Brazil largest party, main ally and pillar of President Dilma Rousseff's fragile coalition said it was “110% satisfied” with the changes announced on Friday: reducing cabinet posts from 39 to 31, slashing thousands of coveted jobs for political appointees and cutting her salary and that of the vice president by 10%.
Brazil's depressed currency rebounded Thursday after the head of its central bank vowed to use all instruments in its arsenal to curtail the Real's collapse. Earlier in the day the Real tumbled to an all-time low of 4.248 to the U.S. dollar, but bounced back to 4.023 after central bank President Alexandre Tombini, in an unscheduled press briefing, did not rule out selling part of the country's $371 billion foreign reserves to calm the exchange rate market.
President Dilma Rousseff's latest austerity plan to rescue Brazil's sinking economy faced a cold reception Tuesday, with Congress raising questions over whether the measures will win approval. The speaker of the lower house of Congress and one of Rousseff's chief foes, Eduardo Cunha, dismissed the measures as pseudo cuts and predicted they would not easily pass.
Brazil's government announced on Monday spending cuts and tax increases totaling 65 billion Reais ($16.9 billion) as it races to close a budget deficit that led to a downgrade of the country's credit rating last week.