Economy & Business - July 2020

Restrictions imposed in response to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic may have slowed mining activity in the Andean region, but even these scaled-back operations have faced continued criticism for overlooking concerns about the health of workers, and for using the pandemic to push for a loosening of environmental controls. ... Read More

The dramatic and devastating impact of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic on the global economy is already incontrovertible.... Read More

The need to reform Ecuador’s pension system, managed by the country’s social security institute (IESS), has become increasingly urgent in the face of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.... Read More

COLOMBIA | Interest rates.... Read More

An emergency monthly payment designed to help Brazil’s economically vulnerable population, notably informal workers, during the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic has just been extended.... Read More

Last year Brazil was at the centre of international controversy because of deforestation and widespread fires across its Amazon region.... Read More

A Paraguayan proposal to boost cross-border retail sales has been rejected by the Brazilian authorities.... Read More

The Uruguayan economy is one of those least badly affected by the economic crisis derived from the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.... Read More

CHILE| Problems in the mining industry.... Read More

In our May issue we reported on an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) study published in April that looked at the potential economic damage to six selected Caribbean countries from the shutdown of tourism as a result of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.... Read More

Global remittances have been hit hard by measures taken around the world to stop the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19) and Central America is already suffering a decrease in inflows.... Read More

Costa Rica and its neighbours faced the same dilemma as countries around the world in the face of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic: how best to protect their populations while mitigating the economic effects of lockdown.... Read More

GUATEMALA | Operations suspended at ‘Fénix’ nickel mine.... Read More

The new North American regional trade agreement -which replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) that was operational since 1994- came into force on 1 July.... Read More

Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has repeatedly stated that his government is committed to maintaining sensible public finances to avoid increasing the national debt.... Read More

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on 24 June updated its economic forecasts for 2020, arguing that the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic is having a much greater impact globally.... Read More

Since taking office on 1 December 2018, Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has repeatedly emphasised that one of his objectives is for Mexico’s largest companies to pay their taxes, which he claims they have been avoiding for years.... Read More

Agricultural exports: On 18 June Mexico’s agriculture & rural development ministry (Sader) released figures showing that despite the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, Mexico’s agri-food sector trade surplus registered a 11.68% increase in the first four months of 2020 compared with the same period in 2019.... Read More