The United States and European Union launched negotiations on one of the world's most ambitious free-trade agreements on Monday, promising thousands of jobs and speedier growth on both sides of the Atlantic.
The International Monetary Fund cautioned on the possible risks of the United States ‘non timely’ unwinding of the stimuli program implemented by the Federal Reserve and the collateral effects that such a policy could have on emerging economies, as those in Latinamerica.
United States could spur growth by adopting a more balanced and gradual pace of fiscal consolidation, especially at a time when monetary policy has limited room to support the recovery further, the International Monetary Fund said after wrapping up its annual review of the world’s largest economy.
Peruvian president Ollanta Humala said he favoured the incorporation of the United States as observer to the Alliance of the Pacific, a free trade, pro-business and open market group made up of Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru.
France threatened to block the start of free trade talks between the European Union and the United States if movies and digital media are not kept out the negotiations. Two days before EU countries are supposed to give the go-ahead for negotiations France said it would veto the talks unless the sector - that it sees as crucial to its cultural identity and under threat from Hollywood - is excluded.
US spy chief James Clapper has admitted the government collects communications from internet firms, but says the policy only targets non-US persons. The director of national intelligence was responding to articles about an alleged secret programme, Prism.
Major tech companies including Apple Inc, Google and Facebook Inc said they do not provide any government agency with “direct access” to their servers, contradicting a Washington Post report that they have granted such access under a classified data collection program.
The United States is to start a dialogue with Venezuela aimed at restoring their respective ambassadors, US Secretary of State John Kerry has said. He was speaking after Venezuela freed and deported a US filmmaker who had been held on conspiracy charges. Mr Kerry welcomed Timothy Tracy's release as a positive development.
US President Barack Obama and Chilean President Sebastian Piñera renewed their push for a trans-Pacific trade agreement at a meeting in the White House Oval Office on Tuesday that also touched on education and renewable energy.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden encouraged Brazil to open its economy further to keep up with free trade trends worldwide during a visit aimed at boosting business between the two largest economies in the Americas.