SUPPLY LINES Mercosur shields Paraguay from Trump tariff pain, says finance chief Yesterday 22:29 Membership in one of the world’s most protectionist trade blocs will help shield Paraguay from the worst of near-term disruptions caused by US tariffs.
AGRICULTURE & LIVESTOCK From meat to grains, trade war is a boon to Brazil and Argentina 22-04-2025 14:38 Escalating tensions between the United States and China have created an opening for Brazil and Argentina to ramp up exports.
DIPLOMATIC ROW Chinese Embassy hits back after Bessent’s remarks in Argentina 15-04-2025 17:48 Beijing’s Embassy in Buenos Aires issues expressing “deep dissatisfaction and categorical rejection of the malicious slanders and libellous remarks” made by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during visit to Buenos Aires.
GEOPOLITICS & DIPLOMACY Trump’s China trade war is forcing Latin America to pick a side 15-04-2025 14:02 Intensifying battle between world’s two largest economies has left governments grappling with the reality that their days of doing big business with Beijing without serious blowback from Washington are numbered.
US TREASURY SECRETARY Bessent expects Argentina to be able to pay off China swap 14-04-2025 19:13 Scott Bessent hails Argentina as a free-market beacon in Latin America; US Treasury secretary said he expects Argentina to be able to pay off its swap line with China, but that US government isn’t considering providing any direct credit.
As I see it Trump has China in the crosshairs 12-04-2025 05:41 The 19th century belonged to the United Kingdom, the 20th to the United States. And the 21st? by James Neilson
EURO TRADE PLANS EU races to expand two-trillion-euro trade network as US links sour 11-04-2025 13:49 The European Union is racing to clinch trade deals with countries around the world in an effort to diversify away from an increasingly protectionist United States.
GLOBAL TRADE WAR Trump stuns with tariff backtrack 10-04-2025 19:26 US President Donald Trump upends global markets and trade by U-turning on proposed tariffs; Benefit for Argentina is only temporarily, unless new deal reached.
CURRENCY SWAP Argentina renews part of China swap ahead of Bessent visit 10-04-2025 17:13 Argentina renews a portion of its US$18-billion currency swap line with China; Activated part being extended for another 12 months amounts to US$5 billion.
ECONOMY – ANALYSIS IMF deal fine print could disrupt China swap renewal 10-04-2025 05:36 In June, the grace period China granted Javier Milei expires. Washington is already pressuring Buenos Aires over the currency swap, with US$6.5 billion remaining frozen. by Eugenia Muzio
TRUMP'S TARIFF WAR Strength in numbers: Latin America urges unity in face of Trump tariffs 09-04-2025 17:38 Latin American leaders at CELAC summit in Honduras call for a united front to tackle US President Donald Trump's tariff onslaught.
GLOBAL TRADE WAR Trump pauses tariffs for 90 days but hits China harder 09-04-2025 17:00 In the midst of Donald Trump's rising tariffs he has called for quite a radical shift within his global trade war, which will affect many countries.
TRADE WARS Trump tariffs everyone, with rate on China set to soar above 50% 03-04-2025 00:24 US President Donald Trump announces steepest US tariffs in a century, unnerving investors who see a trade war ahead.
AS I SEE IT Demography should help the US keep China at bay 15-03-2025 07:46 Despite the fact that demography has always been China’s not so secret weapon, in recent years it has become a major problem that seems certain to put a premature end to the imperial dreams of Xi and his immediate successors. by James Neilson
OPINION & ANALYSIS Is Donald Trump good for Argentina? 15-03-2025 07:40 Trump’s new transactional and short-term economic order overlaps with a new gangster-style and hyper-materialistic political order. by Jorge Fontevecchia
Global trade Trump escalates global trade war, sparking tit-for-tat tariffs 04-03-2025 12:27 Confirmation of the levies lays to rest doubts Trump would actually follow through on his repeated threats to upend global economic ties to counter what he casts as imbalanced trade.
As I see it Hail to the chiefs 01-03-2025 06:15 Much of the world is reverting to an older formula in which it is taken for granted that everything depends on the whims of a handful of big men. by James Neilson
GEOPOLITICS & DIPLOMACY Gutting aid, US cedes soft power game to China 12-02-2025 14:52 Successive US administrations have vowed to wage a global competition with China. But by freezing nearly all US foreign aid, Washington has effectively ceded one of its main levers of influence.
AGRICULTURE & ECONOMY Soy falls as US-China talks loom, weather improves in Argentina 05-02-2025 15:23 Soybean prices fall on worries that US-China trade tensions and bearish weather in Argentina.
PANAMA CANAL THREAT Rubio lays down ultimatum to Panama over canal 03-02-2025 09:28 US Secretary of State Marco Rubio makes real on Donald Trump's threats and warns President José Raúl Mulino he must make immediate changes to reduce Chinese influence on the Panama canal.
INTERVIEW / PERIODISMO PURO ‘Trump is the catalyst,’ agree former ambassadors to China 01-02-2025 09:44 Argentina’s two most recent ambassadors to China, Diego Guelar and Sabino Vaca Narvaja, discuss the chessboard facing the world’s two key powers as Donald Trump begins a new term in the United States. by Jorge Fontevecchia
Artificial Intelligence DeepSeek, Chinese AI startup roiling US tech giants 28-01-2025 11:25 Fears of upheaval in the AI gold rush rocked Wall Street, following the emergence of a popular ChatGPT-like model from China, with US President Donald Trump saying it was a "wake-up call" for Silicon Valley.
WORLD ECONOMIC FORuM Milei praises Trump at Davos, but seeks deeper ties with China 22-01-2025 16:37 President indicates he has shifted stance on China, describing the nation as a "great trade partner," and showers praise on US President Donald Trump.
Fossil Fueled Trump leaves Paris climate agreement 21-01-2025 11:45 Trump withdraws from the Paris climate accord for a second time, a defiant rejection of global efforts to combat warming as weather events intensify worldwide.
Global Health WHO 'regrets' Trump decision to pull US from organisation 21-01-2025 11:08 Trump directs US withdrawal from the World Health Organization, triggering "significant restructuring" in the organisation's future.
Soybean Trade War Trump trade war to hurt US farmers more as China turns to Brazil 11-12-2024 14:10 Donald Trump’s initial trade war with China devastated American soybean farmers, slashing exports by nearly 80%. As tensions mount for a possible reprise, the stakes are higher: China has diversified its agricultural imports, turning to Brazil, Argentina, and Australia for staples like soy, corn, and cotton.
EU-MERCOSUR TRADE DEAL EU reaches long-sought Mercosur deal despite French objections 06-12-2024 12:47 European Union and Mercosur bloc clinch trade deal despite objections of France, which will try to block process; Signing and ratification process could take as long as 18 months.
AGRICULTURE & ECONOMY Argentina seeks its first wheat shipments to China in decades 30-11-2024 09:14 Argentina wheat traders are seeking to close their first significant sales to China since the 1990s, according to the head of the country’s top crop-exporting group.
OPINION & ANALYSIS Long live pragmatism, carajo! 21-11-2024 18:04 President Javier Milei is adjusting his rhetoric to the challenges of power – from his frosty exchanges with Lula and his rapprochement with Xi Jinping, to his contradictions with Emmanuel Macron and Giorgia Meloni. by Javier Calvo
SINO-LATIN AMERICAN RELATIONS Xi, Lula meet in Brasília to 'enhance' diplomatic ties 20-11-2024 10:52 Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit Brazil to strengthen ties with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, focusing on enhancing trade relations, aligning development strategies, and marking 50 years of diplomatic relations. by Ramon Sahmkow, AFP
BILATERAL RELATIONS From ‘assassins’ to ally? Milei caps turnaround by meeting China's Xi 19-11-2024 13:40 Half-hour discussion with Chinese premier takes place on sidelines of G20 Leaders Summit in Rio de Janiero.
Foreign relations & diplomacy Milei’s meeting with Xi signals he’s come full circle on China 17-11-2024 08:44 President Javier Milei is preparing for his first sit-down with Xi Jinping, despite once scoffing that he’d never cut deals with communists.
Trade tensions Lula’s embrace of Xi sets up a clash over Trump’s China policy 14-11-2024 12:37 Brazil’s President Lula is advancing a strategic partnership with China, pursuing infrastructure projects to boost Brazil’s economic ties with Asia, despite the risks of upsetting their other largest trade partner: the United States.
Fast fashion Buy now, pay later: Latin America pressured by Chinese online shops 14-11-2024 07:37 Chinese ultra-fast fashion platforms like Shein and Temu have made it Latin America. As Chinese commercial influence grows in the region, governments are implementing tax measures to protect domestic markets.
UNITED STATES ELECTION 2024 World leaders pledge to work with Trump as he claims US election win 06-11-2024 07:34 World leaders raced to congratulate Donald Trump as he claimed a stunning US election victory over Kamala Harris, while financial markets also rose.
Lihtium in Argentina Eramet buys out Tsingshan from Argentina lithium project 24-10-2024 17:50 French miner Eramet SA to buy back Tsingshan Holding Group Co’s stake in an Argentinian lithium project
GEOPOLITICS Brazil reluctant to pick between US and China in polarised world 23-10-2024 23:38 Brazilian leaders are walking a fine diplomatic line to appeal to both the US and China and shield their nation from any potential blowback in an increasingly polarised world.
Economic - Analysis Global public debt to hit US$100 trillion by end of 2024, IMF says 16-10-2024 06:53 Global public debt risks of rising to US$100 trillion by the end of 2024, warns International Monetary Fund.
OPINION & ANALYSIS How economic and strategic alliances are changing in a multipolar world 12-10-2024 06:23 A guide to the new fault lines of geopolitics — from BRICS versus the G7 to Lula and Milei’s ideological rivalry in Latin America.
FOREIGN POLICY Xi’s ‘strategic patience’ pays off as Milei U-turns on China ties 10-10-2024 13:20 President Javier Milei has surprised everyone by changing his approach to the Asian giant. Jorge Malena, a specialist in contemporary Chinese politics and international relations, explains the “realism and pragmatism” behind the La Libertad Avanza leader’s shift in stance. by Cecilia Degl'Innocenti
Economy & World Rio Tinto expands lithium bet with biggest deal since 2007 09-10-2024 14:15 Rio Tinto Group has agreed to purchase Arcadium Lithium Plc in an all-cash deal valuing the US-listed miner at US$6.7 billion.
OPINION & ANALYSIS An expanded BRICS needs to innovate to show its influence 09-10-2024 14:07 Q&A session with research scientist Mihaela Papa, of Center for International Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
DIPLOMACY Argentina's approach to China switches as ideology gives in to interests 07-10-2024 14:00 The Milei administration’s latest political and discursive twist shows that ideology often ends up giving way to interests when it comes to governing.
Economy Rio Tinto makes approach to buy lithium producer Arcadium 07-10-2024 07:57 Rio Tinto group, world’s second-largest miner, makes preliminary move to acquire Arcadium Lithium, producers with operations in Argentina, China, Canada and Australia.
EU-MERCOSUR TRADE DEAL Macron says free-trade deal with Mercosur is unfair for local farmers 02-10-2024 16:48 French President Emmanuel Macron again criticises Mercosur-European Union free-trade deal with, saying accord would put European companies and agricultural workers at a disadvantage.
TECHNOLOGY & SOCIETY Lula seeks to lead push for global AI rules during Brazil’s G20 23-09-2024 17:33 As the planet’s largest economies struggle to forge consensus on the future of artificial intelligence, Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva wants to ensure the developing world isn’t left out of the debate.
MERCOSUR TENSIONS Mercosur-China trade talks must address imbalance, Paraguay says 06-09-2024 11:59 Mercosur would be willing to negotiate a trade agreement with China if it addresses the lopsided commerce between the two trading partners, says Paraguay.
ECONOMY China hits the accelerator in bid to dominate Latin America's auto market 23-08-2024 15:57 It brands were once looked down on when it came to cars, but gradually, China's auto manufacturers are overtaking the Latin American market.
LITHIUM IN LATIN AMERICA New lithium plant inaugurated in Salta Province 03-07-2024 22:41 French mining group Eramet and its Chinese partner Tsingshan inaugurate new lithium exploitation plant, an investment worth US$870 million.
AGRICULTURE & ECONOMY Argentina poised for first China corn cargoes in 15 years 02-07-2024 15:50 Argentina is preparing corn shipments to China that will be the first in 15 years, the latest move by the two countries to expand agricultural trade.