Brazil’s lower house of Congress approved the main text of a bill creating a market-based benchmark interest rate for state lender BNDES, in a victory for President Michel Temer. The lower house will now have to analyze three potential amendments to the bill early on Tuesday before sending the measure to a final Senate vote, speaker Rodrigo Maia told reporters.
Brazil stripped a vast Amazon nature reserve of its protected status in a move that could expand mining in the region, in a decree published on Wednesday. The four million-hectare reserve is home to indigenous people but also rich in gold and manganese.
Former Brazilian president Lula da Silva told Reuters on Wednesday that his recent conviction for corruption might mean that his Workers Party will have to field a candidate other than him in next year's election.
Brazil's surprise move to privatize Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA sent the utility's shares soaring nearly 50% on Tuesday as investors bet the plan augured further moves to loosen the government's grip on the economy.
JBS SA will proceed with plans to list a U.S.-based unit when market conditions allow, as the world's No. 1 meatpacker wrestles with a shareholder revolt over the role of the controlling Batista family in a massive graft scandal. In a conference call to discuss second-quarter results, CEO Wesley Batista said JBS Foods International Inc could be listed by the end of next year, once parent JBS finalizes 6 billion Reais (US$1.9 billion) in asset sales to cut debt and restore investor confidence.
Mark Prisk, the UK’s trade envoy to Brazil makes his first visit to Recife this year with the purpose of increasing dialogue between the region and United Kingdom. He will discuss topics such as trade, smart cities and the UK government’s international awards scheme, Chevening in bilaterals with Porto Digital and Fiepe. The Trade Envoy was previously in São Paulo in where he held meetings with government and private sector representatives.
Economic activity in Brazil expanded at a faster pace than expected in June, the latest in a batch of reports suggesting an economic recovery may be taking hold. Economic activity rose 0.50% from May after seasonal adjustments, the central bank said on Thursday.
Brazilian company FS Bioenergia inaugurated a corn ethanol plant, the first in the country, to produce 210 million liters year. The plant was built by a joint venture between the local agro-company Fiagril and US-based Summit Agricultural Group with investments of BRL 450 million (US$ 141.1m), said the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Farming.
Brazil's government delayed the announcement of looser budget targets for 2017 and 2018, previously expected for Monday, as authorities struggled to estimate revenues given strong opposition in Congress to tax hikes.
By Haley Zaremba from Oilprice - Not too long ago Brazilian state oil company Petrobras was the most indebted oil & gas company in the world. The long-suffering company has faced dire mismanagement while being weighed down by allegations of involvement in Brazil’s widespread corruption. But that’s all changing.