Brazil feeling the result of climate change.
Climate change is having an impact on Brazil's vast
agricultural sector and the government is planning for, "a dramatic
geographical reorganization of the country's agricultural
production." Recent . . .
Brazil's economy is under achieving.
Among the original BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and
China), which have been praised for their speedy development and steady
march toward eventual dominance of the global economy, Brazil . . .
Nicaragua's institutions are shaky.(Brief article)
On April 3, 2007, the European Commission (EC), the executive
branch of the European Union (EU), published a "Country
Strategy" paper on Nicaragua, a long, closely reasoned document
outlining the . . .
Panama: Finances strong, institutions weak.(Statistical
data)
As with many developing economies in the world, and particularly in
the Latin American region, looks can be deceiving. Panama's
macroeconomic statistics are solid, if not promising. The widening . . .
El Salvador's growth is sustained.(rise in gross domestic
product rate)(Brief article)
Some of the basics are falling into line in El Salvador. By basics
we mean rudimentary processes in the collection of taxes and
distributing welfare grants to the poorest of the poor. A March 13, . . .
Bolivia is stable but uncertainty persists.
The situation in Bolivia as of mid-2007 is clearly illustrated by
the graph above. Both inflation and Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) per
capita income are headed down. Growth in the rate of . . .
Growth slows slightly in Peru.(Brief article)
Peru's consumers-at least in the country's cities-deserve
some of the credit for a GDP growth record in 2006 of 8.0 percent,
according to both the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and . . .
Does Costa Rica deserve its positive reputation?
For some time, Costa Rica has had a reputation of being one of the
most stable countries in the Latin American region. And the graph
above-showing the rate of growth of per capita income-displays a . . .
Chile shows early signs of resurgence.(Brief article)(Statistical
data)
Chile is on the way to rebounding from an economic slump that saw
GDP growth decline from 6.0 percent in 2004 to a still strong 5.7
percent in 2005 to an anemic 4.0 percent in 2006. Statistics are . . .
Uruguay's volatile retail sector grows as GDP slows.
Even though Market: Latin America Statistical Analysis (MLASA) has
estimated the annual percentage changes in Uruguayan retail sales for
2005, 2006 and 2007, there is a high degree of confidence . . .
Ethanol.
The world demand for energy is such that even seeming improvement
in potential supply solutions creates political uproar. Such is the case
with ethanol. And nowhere is the uproar louder than in the . . .
ATMs yield clues to Argentine growth.
An interesting clue to the stability of consumer spending in
Argentina emerges from recent statistics on the expansion of ATMs in the
country. ATM use has been growing along with the economy, but . . .
Corn.
Corn, or maize as it is called locally, is vital to Latin American
food security. Food security in the region is routinely threatened by
environmental shocks. Drought is common, and in the northern . . .
Argentina inflation reports questioned.
A major scandal erupted in Argentina in mid-April 2007 with
allegations the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INDEC)
under reported March 2007 inflation statistics. In an April 19, . . .
Male personal care products.
Within the last two years the market for male personal care
products in Latin America has begun expanding, according to an April
2007 review of the market by the research firm InfoAmericas (Miami). . . .
Jamaica's economy is improving.
The Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) estimates that in the
first quarter of 2007, the country's GDP grew 2.0 percent when
compared with the same period in 2006. Construction and . . .
A new round of Venezuelan nationalization.
To no one's surprise, Venezuela's President has taken the
last step and announced complete withdrawal from relationships with the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. According to . . .
Positive outlook for Colombia spending.(Brief article)
A May 31, 2007 release by Colombia's National Administrative
Department of Statistics (DANE), reported that passenger car sales
increased 18.6 percent in the first quarter of 2007 when compared . . .
Mexico's slowdown will not be dramatic.
The changes in Mexico's economy for the remainder of 2007 are
likely previewed in forecasts of light vehicle sales. According to an
April 11, 2007 report by Banamex, Mexico's biggest . . .
Venezuela prices drop.(cuts in value added tax)(Brief
article)
Nowhere in the Latin American region are prices rising faster than
in Venezuela. So, April 2, 2007 Bloomberg reported news of a March 2007
decline in prices-the biggest monthly decline since at . . .
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