Uruguay's central bank this week surprised local economists and raised its benchmark interest rate 100 base points, one percentage point to 7.5%, in an attempt to help combat accelerating inflation which is beyond the government's target range.
The United States economy grew more quickly than previously estimated in the fourth quarter as businesses maintained fairly solid spending and restocked shelves to meet rising demand, while corporate profits increased 3.3%, a government report showed.
Uruguay’s ruling coalition is celebrating its fortieth anniversary with a massive political rally in downtown Montevideo where the main speaker will be the former Brazilian president Lula da Silva.
Uruguay must remove obstacles to prosecuting human rights offences committed during its dirty war in the 1970s, including an amnesty that had protected military and police officers accused of killings, kidnappings or torture, the Inter-American Human Rights Court ruled.
Uruguay received 2.4 million tourists during 2010, 34% of which the capital Montevideo and if the cruise visitors are added the final number jumps to 930.000, according to Luis Polakof, head of the city’s Economic Development Department.
A bail of Uruguayan fine, clean wool, 14.4 microns, was sold at a record price of 37.76 a kilo. The ultra fine wool, (uncommon for Uruguay that has a flock mostly of Corriedale), was achieved based on a strategic alliance between the Merino breeders, the country’s Agriculture Research Institute, the textile industry and 51 farmers that signed in for the project.
Uruguayan beef exports should reach 1.4 billion US dollars in 2011 according to an announcement this week from the country’s Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Tabare Aguerre.
Uruguayan fish industry instructors, technicians and professionals concluded this week a twenty day training course sponsored by Spain’s Ministry of environment, rural and marine affairs, on board the Spanish scientific research vessel Intermares.
Private domestic demand was a crucial element in the 2010 performance of the Uruguayan economy that expanded 8.5%, for the eighth year running, according to the latest report from the Central bank. But inflation is also running well above target.
The Uruguayan economy completed in 2010 the eighth year running of expansion having recorded 8.5%, which together with 2008 and 1998 makes them the best three years of the last two decades. Uruguay managed to skip the 2009 global recession with a 2.9% expansion.