News of trade

Trump tariffs everyone, with rate on China set to soar above 50%

Yesterday 00:24 US President Donald Trump announces steepest US tariffs in a century, unnerving investors who see a trade war ahead.

TRADE WARS

Trump tariffs threaten Latin American steel industry

01-04-2025 15:18 US president’s new tariffs, designed to protect American consumers, will put Latin America's steel industry on the ropes

POLLING & SURVEYS

Latin Americans split on retaliation as Trump’s tariffs loom

01-04-2025 12:19 Half of Mexicans, Argentines and Brazilians want their governments to retaliate to Trump’s tariffs, with slightly smaller shares of Colombians and Chileans saying the same.

MERCOSUR TRADE

Lula urges Mercosur-Japan deal to counter Trump protectionism

26-03-2025 08:38 Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva calls for new trade deal between Mercosur bloc and Japan during visit to Tokyo.

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

INTERVIEW / IRISH AMBASSADOR

Irish eyes are on the future, says Dublin’s man in Buenos Aires

15-03-2025 07:16 Ireland’s Ambassador to Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, Gerard McCoy, marks St. Patrick’s Day with a review of diplomatic relations, Argentina’s Irish community and bilateral trade.

by Michael Soltys

CANADIAN ELECTION

Canada's next PM Mark Carney vows to 'win' US trade war

10-03-2025 12:52 Liberal Party elects former investment banker Mark Carney to succeed Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for his combative anti-Trump rhetoric.

TRADE WARS

Trump changes tack on some tariffs, but steel, aluminium remain

06-03-2025 18:20 Mexico and Canada given grace period, but levies on imported metals and agricultural products look set to hit Argentina hard.

BILATERAL TRADE

Trump says he is open to a trade deal with Argentina

04-03-2025 15:39 US President Donald Trump responds positively to question speculating over likelihood of US-Argentina free-trade deal.

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.

MERCOSUR TENSIONS

Milei: Mercosur bloc ‘has only enriched Brazilian industrialists’

02-03-2025 11:28 Argentina’s President Javier Milei declares in speech to Congress that Mercosur trade bloc has “only enriched Brazilian industrialists,” warning he will take his nation out of trade bloc if it prevents free-trade deal with United States.

TRADE WAR

US or China? Latin America under pressure to pick a side

14-02-2025 12:55 US President Donald Trump pressures key trading partners like Mexico to break away from China's influence, vowing to shut the 'backdoor' allowing China to import products tariff-free through Latin America.

Foreign relations & diplomacy

Trade war puts Milei’s Trump-first foreign policy to the test

14-02-2025 10:48 Javier Milei has spent his presidency cozying up to Donald Trump. But Argentina’s suddenly vulnerable position on tariffs demonstrates that not even friends are clear of Trump’s trade ire.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Argentina records highest monthly trade deficit with Brazil in seven years

13-02-2025 00:17 Bilateral trade between the two Mercosur partners was US$2.098 billion last month, up 34.1% from the previous January, but imports surge takes Argentina into negative territory.

TRADE WAR

No exemption for Argentina on steel, aluminium tariffs

12-02-2025 18:10 US president confirms 25% steel, aluminium tariffs on imports because United States has “a small deficit” with Argentina on trade.

AGRICULTURE

Milei’s plan to boost farm exports: stop ships from running aground

12-02-2025 11:41 Argentina’s government is moving to give the neglected Paraná waterway its first major upgrade in nearly two decades. But time is running out for the fixes to be made.

POLLING & SURVEYS

Argentines want US trade deal despite competition, tariff fears

11-02-2025 09:03 Argentines support President Milei’s quest to negotiate a free-trade agreement with the United States, but are split over competing with US firms.

STEEL & ALUMINIUM

Trump’s steel, aluminium tariffs a headache for domestic producers

10-02-2025 18:50 US President Donald Trump says he will impose 25% tariff on all steel and aluminium imports; decision will hurt domestic exporters such as Tenaris and Aluar.

TRADE WAR

Trump, China's Xi set to speak on tariff battle

04-02-2025 16:05 Trump triggers a trade war and Chinese President Xi Jinping hurls back 15 percent levies on coal and liquified natural gas imports. The two world leaders are expected to meet Tuesday.

Split Coalition

Trump clash fractures Colombia's ruling coalition

29-01-2025 15:59 Colombia's Liberal Party severs ties with President Gustavo Petro's legislative coalition following his social media spat with Trump, which could make promised reforms more difficult to pass.

Energy Export

Energy export surge quells fears over currency management

29-01-2025 11:20 BlackRock, Barings say energy dollars should quell Argentina’s foreign exchange concerns.

Tariff Threat

Trump holds off on Colombia tariffs after migrant deal

27-01-2025 12:22 US president sends a powerful message by threatening sweeping tariffs on Latin American ally to push forward his geopolitical goals on migration.

FOREIGN RELATIONS

Milei would leave Mercosur if needed for US-Argentina deal

22-01-2025 15:09 President Javier Milei says he would leave Mercosur if necessary to cement a free-trade agreement with the United States.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Argentina recorded record trade surplus in 2024

20-01-2025 22:48 Argentia recorded its biggest-ever trade surplus in 2024 – partly due to a drop in imports caused by recession.

US-ARGENTINA RELATIONS

Trump and Milei: An ideological match, but can they work together?

18-01-2025 06:32 The ideological romance between the presidents of Argentina and the United States has already matured. But will it ripen?

Hidrovía Paraná-Paraguay

Paraná-Paraguay waterway a focal point for global security policy

10-01-2025 13:44 Ongoing tussle involving major dredging companies seeking to participate in Milei government's tender. Hidrovía Paraná-Paraguay is a naval highway for the trafficking of illicit drugs to the rest of the world.

GLOBAL LITHIUM TRADE

Stubbornly resilient lithium supply remains hurdle to recovery

08-01-2025 10:06 Lithium prices have plunged since late 2022 on oversupply and slower-than-expected growth in electric vehicle demand. Analysts see a surplus this year, although they forecast it will be smaller than in 2024.

WORLD ECONOMY

Five key points about the Panama Canal, now in Trump's sights

23-12-2024 21:42 President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to reclaim control of the Panama Canal unless toll prices for US ships are reduced, but local authorities rejects his claim.

Latin America

US deports co-founder of Escobar's Medellin Cartel to Colombia

23-12-2024 21:23 Fabio Ochoa Vásquez, founder of the Medellín Cartel, is deported to Colombia after serving over 20 years in a US prison for drug-trafficking.

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.

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.

President's address

Milei vows to axe capital controls and negotiate Trump trade deal

11-12-2024 09:50 President Javier Milei promises to lift capital and currency controls next year and negotiate a free-trade agreement with the United States once Donald Trump takes office.

MILEI'S FIRST YEAR

Milei promises inflation will be a 'bad memory' in first anniversary speech

10-12-2024 23:45 President touts US trade deal with Trump, vows to remove currency controls and says “happy times” lie ahead in national broadcast marking first year in office.

EU-MERCOSUR TRADE DEAL

EU-Mercosur deal will 'mainly' benefit Europe, says Paraguay president

09-12-2024 11:16 New free-trade deal between the European Union and Mercosur bloc will "mainly" benefit Europe, says Paraguay's President Santiago Peña.

EU-MERCOSUR TRADE DEAL

Mercosur and EU announce agreement on free-trade deal

06-12-2024 13:02 Almost 25 years on from the first opening of negotiations, the the EU and Mercosur reach agreement for free-trade deal that will create a market exceeding 700 million people.

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.

Mercosur Trade Deal

EU chief lands in South America to close contentious Mercosur deal

05-12-2024 13:21 EU chief Ursula von der Leyen lands in Montevideo at the LXV Mercosur Summit, where the goal is to hopefully close the Mercosur Trade Deal. With France's President Macron expressing his distaste, and Brazil's President Lula in support, there is much to discuss this week.

EU-MERCOSUR TRADE DEAL

EU nears deal with Mercosur as Von Der Leyen heads to summit

05-12-2024 09:02 European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen due in Uruguay to attend Mercosur summit.

MERCOSUR SUMMIT IN MONTEVIDEO

Mercosur members eye sealing of 'historic' free-trade deal with EU

04-12-2024 15:09 Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay are hoping to announce a blockbuster trade deal with the European Union at a regional summit Friday.

EU-MERCOSUR TRADE DEAL

German FM says 'essential' to seal EU-Mercosur deal at Friday summit

03-12-2024 14:44 German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock says it is "essential" that the European Union to finalise a free-trade deal with Latin America's Mercosur this week.

'Pepe' Mujica interview

Mujica: Left’s return to power in Uruguay is ‘a farewell prize’

29-11-2024 11:40 José ‘Pepe’ Mujica is perhaps the most famous Uruguayan in the world, but that doesn't faze him. “I'm not a phenomenon; I'm an ordinary guy with some eccentricities,” says the 89-year-old former president.

ANALYSIS

Milei evaluates Argentina’s future in Mercosur

28-11-2024 15:36 Argentina's government is evaluating its future relationship with the Mercosur trade bloc – the plans it has in mind and the possibilities of a break-up.

EU-MERCOSUR TRADE DEAL

Lula: Brussels, not Paris, will decide EU-Mercosur trade deal

27-11-2024 23:29 Blockbuster deal between the 27-country European Union and Mercosur countries – Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay – will not be decided only by France, declares Lula.

EU-Mercosur Deal

Poland rejects EU-Mercosur deal in current form

26-11-2024 18:48 Poland's Prime Minister rejects the EU-Mercosur deal, joining France in opposition against the free trade deal with South American countries.

MERCOSUR SUMMIT

President Milei to attend first Mercosur Summit in Montevideo

26-11-2024 10:41 After his absence in Asunción, President Javier Milei is set to attend his first Mercosur summit in Montevideo next week; talks will focus on the long-stalled EU free trade deal, though Argentina's leader is expected to criticise the bloc's functioning.

FRENCH LEADER IN LATIN AMERICA

Macron praises EU-Chile trade agreement on Latin America tour

20-11-2024 20:53 French President Emmanuel Macron visits Chilean counterpart Gabriel Boric in Santiago on the last leg of a Latin America tour.

EU-Mercosur Deal

French farmers threaten 'chaos' over proposed EU-Mercosur deal

19-11-2024 13:19 Farmers protest against the free-trade agreement between the European Union and the Latin American countries of Mercosur, with Paris leading the resistance against ratification of the proposed deal.

GEOPOLITICS

US likely to increase focus on LatAm with Rubio as top diplomat

19-11-2024 12:27 Marco Rubio's appointment as the United States' top diplomat has raised expectations that Washington will place greater emphasis on Latin America moving forward.

FRENCH PRESIDENT IN BUENOS AIRES

Macron defends French farmers during talks with Milei

18-11-2024 10:30 French President Emmanuel Macron defends his nation's resistance to the proposed EU-Mercosur trade deal as he visits President Javier Milei in Buenos Aires.