Chile's government has cut its forecast for 2017 economic growth to 1.5% from 2.25%, Finance Minister Rodrigo Valdes said on Monday as the long-awaited recovery remains elusive.
Chile's economy contracted for the first time in seven years in annual terms, as manufacturing and mining activity fell, potentially paving the way for the central bank to cut interest rates to spur growth. Economic activity fell 0.4% in October from the year-earlier month, the first annual contraction since October 2009, central bank data showed on Monday.
Chile's jobless rate rose more than expected in the first quarter as two years of sluggish growth finally caught up with the labor market, signaling stronger headwinds for South America's wealthiest economy.
Chile's economy grew at a modest pace in March, as a gradual rebound was weighed down by devastating floods and mudslides in its northern region, central bank data showed on Tuesday. The IMACEC economic activity index, which encompasses about 90% of the economy tallied in GDP figures, rose 1.6% in March from the same month a year ago.
Chile's economy grew 0.8% in the third quarter compared with the same period in 2013, the worst performance in five years, the Central Bank reported Tuesday. The bank also announced that the basic rate will remain unchanged at 3%.
President Michelle Bachelet presented on Monday a 500 million dollars emergency plan to try and rejuvenate Chile's slowing economy via investment promotion. She added that half of the anticipated funding will come from adjustments to the budget while the rest will come from greater structural income from a tax reform that Congress is expected to approve soon
Chile's GDP grew at its weakest pace since 2009 in the second quarter as investment waned and a previously rapid expansion in consumer spending slowed, central bank data showed. The economy grew 1.9% in the second quarter compared with a year ago, or a seasonally adjusted 0.2% compared with the first quarter.
Chile cut its copper output forecast for the year to 5.53 million tons due to setbacks at certain mines, though production is still expected to jump from 2012 as a new deposit comes online, the mining ministry said this week.
Chile's consumer inflation was up 0.6% in June, the biggest increase in eight months and slightly above expectations as costs jumped for accommodation, electricity, fuel products and water, the government said on its latest stats report.
Growth in Chile's export-dependent economy will slow to 4.6% this year due to softer copper prices, investment and domestic demand, the IMF said in a report posted on the central bank's website earlier this week. In April, the IMF projected the economy of the world's leading copper producer would expand by 4.9% in 2013.