News of currency

Milei’s strong peso revives domestic football with million-dollar contracts

Today 15:35 President’s peso policy has domestic clubs spending big; More than two dozen players now make US$1 million or more a year.

'Cryptogate' scandal

Milei 'cryptogate' probe delegated to prosecutor

21-02-2025 17:29 Prosecutor Eduardo Taiano to assemble evidence against President Javier Milei regarding his involvement in the $LIBRA cryptocurrency scandal.

Currency flows

Argentines spend most dollars since 2018 on strong peso policy

11-02-2025 12:29 Argentines are spending the most amount of dollars in years as they cash in on a strong peso.

‘CEPO’ NO MORE?

President sets 2026 target for removal of currency controls

04-02-2025 15:47 La Libertad Avanza leader says his government will remove capital controls by start of 2026 – unless the IMF grants Argentina fresh funds beforehand.

TOURISM & TRAVEL

Argentina’s rich neighbours cut back on visits due to strong peso

28-01-2025 09:38 Tourists visiting from Uruguay and Chile fell at least 30% in December from a year ago, according to INDEC.

International Monetary Fund

Caputo returns to Argentina for talks with IMF team

23-01-2025 14:46 IMF Managing Director Georgieva meets President Javier Milei in Washington, highlights "tremendous progress" of Argentina’s economy. Technical team already in Buenos Aires, but Economy Minister Luis Caputo plays down talk of rapid removal of currency controls.

ECONOMIC ANALYSIS

Dollar, IMF, tariffs – how Trump’s measures will impact Argentina

23-01-2025 00:35 US President’s protectionist policies clash with the free-market creed of President Javier Milei’s government. Argentina’s quest for support with the IMF, the negative effects of the "super dollar" and uncertainty as to the commercial dynamics.

by Martín Fernández Nadale

ECONOMY – ANALYSIS

Milei lowers peso crawling peg to 1% after inflation stabilises

14-01-2025 16:43 Monthly inflation continues to run near a four-year low, opening the door for first change to currency policy in more than a year.

BEYOND THE HEADLINES

Is appreciation appreciated?

09-01-2025 19:37 Currency appreciation has been a central factor in giving Milei a dream spring – let us see if that same factor impelling several million Argentines to vacation abroad this summer sends the balance of payments wheel spinning in the opposite direction.

by Michael Soltys

IMF NEGOTIATIONS OVER NEW DEAL

IMF: Formal talks over new deal with Argentina have begun

19-12-2024 21:09 The International Monetary Fund and Argentina have formally begun negotiations over a new loan agreement as the current programme draws to a close.

ANALYSIS: SHOCK THERAPY

Argentina takes steps to speed up Milei’s dollarisation strategy

19-12-2024 15:38 Argentina’s government is working with major banks and payment firms to advance Javier Milei’s dollarisation strategy.

NEW IMF PROGRAMME

IMF in talks with Argentina on loan to succeed US$44-billion deal

19-12-2024 14:13 International Monetary Fund confirms it has formally opened talks with President Javier Milei's government over a new loan programme to replace its existing US$44-billion deal.

ECONOMIC POLICY

Milei, Caputo increasing bullish as they outline new IMF deal timeline

19-12-2024 09:50 Argentina eyes fresh accord with the International Monetary Fund in the first third of next year, with President Milei confident of strong support, both at the Fund and on trade, from incoming US president Donald Trump.

TURBULENCE IN BRAZIL

Brazil market rout risks a crisis as Lula resists austerity push

19-12-2024 08:25 As the currency craters in Brazil, thrusting the country’s markets into the international spotlight for the first time in years, a grim reality is setting in for top economic aides to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. They are, they fear, powerless to do much to stop the panic.

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.

IMF LOAN PROGRAMME

Argentina ‘sure’ of new IMF deal, says it doesn’t depend on Trump

21-11-2024 14:28 IMF spokeswoman Julie Kozack says authorities in Argentina are “exploring the option of moving to a new arrangement” with the multilateral lender to replace its existing US$44-billion loan programme.

IMF CREDIT LINE

Caputo says Argentina in talks with IMF over new deal, fresh funds

23-10-2024 13:58 After being hailed as “finance minister of the year” by a magazine in Washington, Argentina’s Economy Minister Luis Caputo Caputo said talks with the International Monetary Fund over a new agreement that includes fresh funds are underway.

'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.

CAPITAL CONTROLS

Why Milei can’t lift currency controls any time soon

16-10-2024 12:15 Argentina has had strict currency controls in place for the past nine out of 13 years. President Javier Milei wants to get rid of them, but for now, he's sticking to the existing regime.

CAPITAL CONTROLS

Government to adopt flexible exchange rate after lifting controls

15-10-2024 23:17 Milei states at conference that government will adopt a “flexible” exchange rate on the peso after it lifts capital controls.

FEATURE

‘Los chachos’: La Rioja launches currency to offset Milei’s shock therapy

03-09-2024 15:48 The remote province of La Rioja has created its own currency, the chacho, as an alternative to the peso to try to revive its moribund economy.

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.

IMF ON ARGENTINA

IMF denies there is ‘specific timetable’ for new Argentina deal

11-07-2024 16:48 Julie Kozack, the Fund's communications director, contradicts claims by Economy Minister Luis Caputo that talks about new financing deal are underway and an agreement could be sealed this year.

POLITICS – ANALYSIS

Milei under pressure for the first time

06-07-2024 05:59 If the doubts regarding Milei’s capacity to preside over Argentina were tied to governability risk, Caputo’s are connected to credibility risk: it’s difficult to see how the current policy framework can be sustainable in time.

by Agustino Fontevecchia

CURRENCY IMPROVISATION

La Rioja Province puts its own ‘quasi-currency’ in circulation

02-07-2024 16:01 New ‘chachos’ enter into circulation, currency honours local caudillo; Provincial Governor Ricardo Quintela announced the plan back in January, which won approval from local legislature a month later.

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.

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.

NEW IMF PROGRAMME?

Caputo says Argentina will seek new IMF programme to exit 'cepo'

11-06-2024 12:57 Economy Minister Luis Caputo says President Milei’s government intends to “negotiate a new programme” with the International Monetary Fund that will allow Argentina to remove currency controls.

THIRST FOR CURRENCY

Argentines suddenly need pesos after Milei pitched dollarisation

04-06-2024 08:48 More people in Argentina are now selling some of their dollar savings for pesos to make ends meet than those buying greenbacks – the abrupt revival of demand is an unexpected consequence of President Milei's shock-therapy policies.

OIL & GAS

Oil driller’s 1,400% world-beating rally hinges on Milei reforms

23-05-2024 13:52 Vista Energy boss Miguel Galuccio knows shale. But his plans lie in the hands of President Javier Milei.

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.

CURRENCY CONTROLS

Argentina to offer bonds in first step to lift currency controls

26-04-2024 13:33 President Javier Milei's government readying a new instrument to allow companies to send dividends abroad, a first step to lift a cobweb of restrictions in its foreign-exchange market.

BLOOMBERG – ANALYSIS

Milei sparks wild rally that makes peso number one in the world

25-04-2024 15:17 Four months into office, President Javier Milei has pulled off a critical feat in a country long ravaged by runaway inflation: stabilising Argentina's currency.

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 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.

FINANCE

Milei seeks US$15 billion for removal of currency controls

18-03-2024 11:24 President Javier Milei says he would open up restrictions on foreign currency immediately if he has US$15 billion; Money could be provided by the IMF, multilateral bodies, private investors and even “some countries."

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.

Exchange rate woes

Investors bet Argentina crawling peg to speed up to 6% by April

22-02-2024 11:34 Investors see Argentina's crawling peg accelerating to six percent monthly by the start of the second quarter, according to peso futures data.

DOLLARISATION ON THE CARDS?

Milei says Argentina has '85.7% chance of being able to dollarise’

15-02-2024 16:55 Argentina’s libertarian leader claims that neither zero deficit or the shuttering of the Central Bank is up for negotiation and that there is a good chance of dollarisation “at market rate.”

ECONOMIC POLICY

Milei sets June deadline for lifting of capital controls

08-02-2024 06:24 Casa Rosada has a list of conditions required and assures that the dollar can be kept to around 1,000 pesos.

IMF DEBT PROGRAMME

IMF authorises US$4.7 billion loan tranche, says Milei will remove currency controls

01-02-2024 18:25 International Monetary Fund signs off on fresh loan disbursement and reveals Argentina will lift currency controls this year – though it warns political and social unrest may lie ahead.

FINANCE & GOVERNMENT

La Rioja Province government issues its own quasi-currency

17-01-2024 17:30 La Rioja provincial legislature approved printing of new “quasi-currency” alternative to the peso to cover state shortfalls amid austerity cutbacks.

CRYPTOCURRENCIES

Bitcoin a dud in El Salvador, first country to make it legal tender

11-01-2024 13:10 A poll released Wednesday showed that 88% of El Salvadorans did not use bitcoin last year in El Salvador, the first country anywhere to make the cryptocurrency a form of legal tender.

DOLLARISATION ON THE CARDS?

Argentina still plans to dollarise, Milei’s economy chief says

15-12-2023 09:13 “The objective remains the same — to get to dollarisation,” declares Economy Minister Luis Caputo.

BLOOMBERG – ANALYSIS

‘There is no money’: Argentina begins economic shock remedy

13-12-2023 11:41 Measures include 54% peso devaluation, additional 2% a month; Plan seen as step in the right direction, perhaps insufficient by traders.

Presidential handover

Argentina stops banks from hoarding dollars ahead of devaluation

07-12-2023 13:34 Central Bank limits amount of foreign currency the nation’s commercial lenders can hold, in a push to discourage US dollar hoarding ahead of an expected devaluation by president-elect Javier Milei.