News of central

Argentina sells most FX reserves since 2019 on importer demand

Today 19:14 Central Bank sells most foreign reserves in one day since October 2019 after officials eliminate PAIS tax on imports, igniting corporate demand for dollars.

MONETARY POLICY

Argentina weighs managed exchange rate once it lifts currency controls

16-12-2024 19:44 President Javier Milei's government is weighing whether to introduce a managed exchange rate regime — a “dirty float” — once it lifts its current foreign exchange controls in 2025.

365 days of Javier Milei

One year in, Milei yet to fulfill key economic campaign promises

09-12-2024 12:53 Dollarisation, the removal of the ‘cepo,’ and the closure of the Central Bank – though he has tamed inflation, President Javier Milei has yet to deliver on key economic promises in his first year in office.

INTEREST RATES

Central Bank lowers rate to 32% on price expectations

06-12-2024 00:10 Argentina’s Central Bank cut its benchmark interest rate by 300 basis points to 32 percent as inflation expectations fall.

NEW BANKNOTES

Milei administration introduces 20,000-peso bill to Argentina

13-11-2024 00:38 A dinner in an average restaurant costs around 20,000 pesos and it can now be paid with this banknote bearing the image of liberal politician and writer Juan Bautista Alberdi.

Football violence

Three sought over murders of Rosario Central football hooligans

11-11-2024 15:55 Police seeking three people in connection with murder of two key members of Rosario Central's 'barra brava' hooligan gang over the weekend.

Hooliganism strikes again

Two Rosario Central fans killed as football violence again rears head

10-11-2024 17:26 Two fans shot dead after football match; Clashes outside Rosario Central’s stadium, with top hooligan gang leader killed.

MONETARY POLICY

Central Bank lowers benchmark rate to 35% from 40%

01-11-2024 12:46 Argentina’s Central Bank lowers benchmark interest rate for the first time in nearly six months.

CENTRAL BANK MANOUEVRES

Milei taps unseasonal source in search of dollars

30-10-2024 10:06 Faced by a shortage of foreign reserves, the Central Bank is turning to an unusual source of funding for this time of year: a risky trade by crop exporters.

'Shock Therapy'

Clamour for pesos leads banks to tap repo market

23-10-2024 12:47 A surge in demand for local currency in recent months has left Argentina's commercial banks needing access to pesos.

COURT BLOW

Milei officials rage at opponents as UK court rules against Argentina

17-10-2024 12:00 Argentina loses bid for UK Supreme Court to hear its appeal on a ruling that will force the nation to pay $1.5 billion in damages to holders of the country’s growth-linked bonds.

BANKING & FINANCE

Central Bank working to enable dollar debt cards

14-10-2024 11:13 Argentina’s Central Bank is working with banks and credit card companies to enable debt cards denominated in dollars.

DOLLARISATION ON THE CARDS?

Milei wants Argentines to dollarise the economy for him

02-10-2024 13:16 Argentina’s President seems to have abandoned his vision of dollarisation of the economy. Instead, he wants his countrymen to do the job for him: dollar by dollar, peso by peso.

ECONOMY & FINANCE

Argentina ships gold bars abroad to be financially certified

02-09-2024 20:30 Argentina’s Central Bank sent part of its gold reserves abroad in recent weeks to be validated for financial use.

AGRO

Agro dollars: the countryside liquidated US$2.61 billion in July

01-08-2024 16:08 The data of agro dollars come from the CIARA Argentine Chamber of the Oil Industry and the CEC Cereal Exporting Centre, two entities which combined account for nearly 50 percent of Argentine exports.

YPF CASE

Could Argentina's gold reserves be seized due to YPF debt?

25-07-2024 18:02 The government’s plan to get liquidity and show financial fortitude has opened a window of uncertainty in the face of possible international suits. There are priors which support the alert, and others that play it down.

by Ariel Maciel

MONETARY POLICY

Argentina overcomes key hurdle impeding end of currency controls

20-07-2024 17:53 Central Bank buys back majority of put options from financial entities, bringing President Javier Milei one step closer to lifting currency controls.

MONETARY POLICY

Argentina to sell dollars in parallel FX market to shore up peso

14-07-2024 09:31 Central Bank will sell US dollars in the country’s parallel foreign exchange markets starting Monday, says Economy Minister Luis Caputo.

ECONOMY & POLITICS

Argentina officials move to shore up bank support for debt plan

01-07-2024 15:35 Economy Minister Luis Caputo and Central Bank Governor Santiago Bausili sought to shore up support Monday in a meeting with executives from private banks for a monetary policy pivot announced late Friday.

ECONOMIC POLICY

Milei says he would slow crawling peg if inflation cools further

01-07-2024 12:10 President Javier Milei says peso could weaken at a slower pace if inflation cools to a certain level.

MONETARY POLICY

Milei shifts policy in second phase of Argentina plan

29-06-2024 15:30 Milei administration embarks on second phase of economic plan, announcing it will swap out notes held at the Central Bank for new Treasury debt.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Economy extended downturn in April amid Milei’s cuts

29-06-2024 13:09 Economy slumped slightly in April, marking four of the last five months in decline since President Javier Milei took office.

POLITICS & ECONOMY

Milei says legislative win paves way for monetary policy pivot

28-06-2024 13:56 President Milei says government will change its monetary policy framework following his first major legislative victory.

FOREIGN CURRENCY RESERVES

Milei’s push to rebuild Argentina’s foreign reserves grinds to a halt

26-06-2024 23:36 Argentina's Central Bank is struggling to rebuild its chest of foreign reserves as it starts to spend money in currency markets to defend controls propping up the peso.

ECONOMY – ANALYSIS

Brazil Central Bank daces self-inflicted crisis

17-06-2024 11:57 Brazil’s Central Bank is facing an emergency of its own making that threatens to sabotage years of deft policy making and credibility gains.

MONETARY POLICY

Central Bank to hold talks over risks from bond puts

14-06-2024 17:18 Argentina’s Central Bank is in talks with executives at commercial banks to reduce the overhang of puts on sovereign peso debts.

CURRENCY SWAP

Central Bank says China currency swap renewed until July 2026

12-06-2024 22:26 Central Bank renews a roughly US$5-billion portion of its currency swap line with the People’s Bank of China for another two years.

CHINA CURRENCY SWAP

IMF expects China to reschedule billions in Argentina’s debt

12-06-2024 11:34 IMF expects China to reschedule payments from the US$18-billion swap line that it has extended to Argentina.

EL SALVADOR

El Salvador's Bukele sworn-in for second term as Milei watches on

01-06-2024 17:42 El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele sworn in for a second term with Argentina's Javier Milei among the guests in attendance.

ECONOMY

Milei says Argentina is ‘very close’ to lifting FX controls

15-05-2024 17:00 “The truth is that we’re very close to lifting” currency controls, Milei said Wednesday at a conference in Buenos Aires, without providing more specifics on timing.

MONETARY POLICY

Central Bank cuts interest rate for sixth time to 40% as inflation slows

14-05-2024 20:32 Argentina cut its benchmark interest rate Tuesday for a sixth time under President Javier Milei.

MORTGAGE MARKET MOVES

Argentines flock to banks as Milei awakens mortgage market

14-05-2024 15:06 Argentines are rushing to banks to apply for mortgages as interest-rate reductions begin to wake the home-loan market.

BANKS PROBED

Argentina questions three banks on puts, bond transactions

13-05-2024 20:36 Argentina’s Central Bank and regulators are looking into at least three of the nation’s banks – Galicia, BBVA, Banco Supervielle – for potential irregularities in transactions with government bonds and put options.

IMF DEBT PROGRAMME

Milei wins IMF staff support to unlock US$800 million

13-05-2024 12:07 IMF staff sign off on eighth review of Argentina’s US$44-billion programme, endorsing President Milei’s shock therapy programme and freeing up access to nearly US$800 million.

ENERGY & GAS

Power producers seek better terms for US$2-billion Argentina debt

08-05-2024 15:46 Privately-run power producers Pampa Energía SA and Central Puerto SA will reject the government's current offer to settle a US$2-billion debt.

INTEREST RATES

Central Bank cuts rates to 50% as Milei wrestles inflation down

02-05-2024 14:04 Central Bank cuts key interest rate for the third time in three weeks as officials bet on a sustained slowdown in consumer prices.

Foreign relations & diplomacy

Top officials to meet People's Bank of China chief amid swap talks

26-04-2024 17:20 Argentina’s Central Bank Governor Santiago Bausili and Finance Secretary Pablo Quirno are scheduled to meet with People’s Bank of China Governor Pan Gongsheng in Beijing on Monday.

INTEREST RATES CUT

Central Bank lowers key rate to 60%

25-04-2024 15:07 Policymakers at Argentina’s Central Bank lower interest rates to 60% from 70% as officials bet on a sustained slowdown of inflation.

RELATIONS WITH CHINA

Central Bank chief Bausili among top officials headed to China

18-04-2024 18:02 Top government officials are preparing to visit China in the next few weeks as President Javier Milei ditches his aggressive rhetoric against Beijing in a bid to deepen ties with a key trade partner.

BLOOMBERG

Caputo speech at JPMorgan event helps propel Argentine bonds

18-04-2024 13:18 Argentina won’t lift capital controls until international reserves are high enough to safeguard against a potential currency run, Luis Caputo tells investors.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Central Bank cuts interest rate to 70%, markets see inflation easing

12-04-2024 10:22 Argentina’s Central Bank cuts main interest rate to 70% from 80% – the third time since President Javier Milei took office.

BLOOMBERG INTERVIEW

Milei sees long slog ahead to bring Argentina reforms he pledged

05-04-2024 11:14 While Milei made shutting down the Central Bank and dollarising the economy centrepieces of his political campaign, he acknowledges plans are going to take a lot longer than he expected.

POLITICS & ECONOMY

Milei to cut 70,000 state jobs, boasting of chainsaw austerity

26-03-2024 22:29 President plans to fire 70,000 government workers in the coming months, he confirms in speech to IEFA Latam Forum in Buenos Aires.

HEALTH

Puerto Rico declares health emergency over dengue

25-03-2024 21:21 Puerto Rico declared a public health emergency over dengue, a mosquito-borne illness that has surged throughout the Americas this year.

ANALYSIS

Monthly inflation slows to 13% as Milei’s cuts bite

12-03-2024 16:45 Inflation in February slowed for a second consecutive time as the impact of December’s large peso devaluation fades and President Javier Milei’s austerity measures push the economy into recession.

Options for peso bonds

Argentina hinders debt swap by not offering puts on peso bonds

12-03-2024 12:23 Central Bank isn’t offering put options for peso bonds the government is selling this week in a record debt swap.

MONETARY POLICY

Central Bank cuts rates to 80% in surprise move as inflation cools

12-03-2024 09:43 Central Bank unexpectedly cuts banchmark interest rate as policy-makers forecast cooling of inflation.

FOOTBALL IN ARGENTINA

Tevez’s spat with Tapia shows consequences of AFA’s chaos

08-03-2024 11:23 Carlos Tevez declared open rebellion against Argentine football's reigning powers this week after seeing his Independiente side held against Barracas Central, in a match peppered with dubious refereeing decisions.

by Dan Edwards

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK

Analysts improve outlook, forecast inflation slowing to 210% in 2024

08-03-2024 10:48 Experts consulted for Central Bank’s REM survey of market expectations lower forecasts for inflation in the next few months, predicting 15.5% rate for February and a 3.5% economic slump this year.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Argentines put US$2.3 billion into banks, signalling faith in Milei

06-03-2024 11:37 If the trend continues, it would be good news for Argentina’s Central Bank, where a portion of savers’ dollar deposits count toward the foreign reserves needed to stabilise the peso.

News of central

Argentina sells most FX reserves since 2019 on importer demand

Argentina weighs managed exchange rate once it lifts currency controls

One year in, Milei yet to fulfill key economic campaign promises

Central Bank lowers rate to 32% on price expectations

Milei administration introduces 20,000-peso bill to Argentina

Three sought over murders of Rosario Central football hooligans

Two Rosario Central fans killed as football violence again rears head

Central Bank lowers benchmark rate to 35% from 40%

Milei taps unseasonal source in search of dollars

Clamour for pesos leads banks to tap repo market

Milei officials rage at opponents as UK court rules against Argentina

Central Bank working to enable dollar debt cards

Milei wants Argentines to dollarise the economy for him

Argentina ships gold bars abroad to be financially certified

Agro dollars: the countryside liquidated US$2.61 billion in July

Could Argentina's gold reserves be seized due to YPF debt?

Argentina overcomes key hurdle impeding end of currency controls

Argentina to sell dollars in parallel FX market to shore up peso

Argentina officials move to shore up bank support for debt plan

Milei says he would slow crawling peg if inflation cools further

Milei shifts policy in second phase of Argentina plan

Economy extended downturn in April amid Milei’s cuts

Milei says legislative win paves way for monetary policy pivot

Milei’s push to rebuild Argentina’s foreign reserves grinds to a halt

Brazil Central Bank daces self-inflicted crisis

Central Bank to hold talks over risks from bond puts

Central Bank says China currency swap renewed until July 2026

IMF expects China to reschedule billions in Argentina’s debt

El Salvador's Bukele sworn-in for second term as Milei watches on

Milei says Argentina is ‘very close’ to lifting FX controls

Central Bank cuts interest rate for sixth time to 40% as inflation slows

Argentines flock to banks as Milei awakens mortgage market

Argentina questions three banks on puts, bond transactions

Milei wins IMF staff support to unlock US$800 million

Power producers seek better terms for US$2-billion Argentina debt

Central Bank cuts rates to 50% as Milei wrestles inflation down

Top officials to meet People's Bank of China chief amid swap talks

Central Bank lowers key rate to 60%

Central Bank chief Bausili among top officials headed to China

Caputo speech at JPMorgan event helps propel Argentine bonds

Central Bank cuts interest rate to 70%, markets see inflation easing

Milei sees long slog ahead to bring Argentina reforms he pledged

Milei to cut 70,000 state jobs, boasting of chainsaw austerity

Puerto Rico declares health emergency over dengue

Monthly inflation slows to 13% as Milei’s cuts bite

Argentina hinders debt swap by not offering puts on peso bonds

Central Bank cuts rates to 80% in surprise move as inflation cools

Tevez’s spat with Tapia shows consequences of AFA’s chaos

Analysts improve outlook, forecast inflation slowing to 210% in 2024

Argentines put US$2.3 billion into banks, signalling faith in Milei

Thousands attend Christmas charity dinner in Buenos Aires

Chinese workers saved from 'slave-like conditions' in Brazil

Suriname ex-dictator and fugitive Desi Bouterse dead at 79

Venezuela releases teenagers arrested in post-election protests

Argentina’s economy expanded faster than expected in October

Salario mínimo, vital y móvil: fijaron el monto para diciembre y los aumentos hasta marzo de 2025

“Dragonfly”, la misión de la NASA que busca la presencia de posibles formas de vida en el planeta Saturno

El Gobierno echó a 100 empleados de un organismo al que apunta por denunciar a periodistas

Marcela Pagano denunciará a los agentes de tránsito y Lilia Lemoine atacó a los diplomáticos rusos: "Avísenles que no gobierna más Alverso"

El Gobierno denunció por "traición a la patria" al exembajador argentino en Venezuela, Oscar Laborde