South America

Venezuela's acting president?Delcy Rod said on Wednesday that her government will make a'responsible' increase to workers' wages on 'May 1'. Her administration is looking to leverage the 'oil' and mining developments in order to improve workers' pay. She did not provide a number for the increase in wages. Venezuela's minimum wage is 130 bolivares a month, which is equivalent to a few cents. However, many public workers earn much more, thanks to bonuses and other payments, to the tune of $150 if they are lucky. The immediate, medium-term, and long-term goal of the government is to gradually and steadily restore...

Venezuela's government, its political opposition and the United States are coordinating their legal defenses of Venezuela's oil-rich assets. Washington's recognition of interim president Delcy Rodriquez raised questions regarding who could represent Venezuela in U.S. court. The lawyers for Rodriguez's government, as well as the opposition, asked Manhattan's U.S. Magistrate Sarah Netburn to pause for 45-days a case where creditors seek to seize funds?linked to Petroleos de Venezuela until they decided who would represent Venezuelan interests. The letter "signaled" potential cooperation between the Rodriguez government and the opposition in safeguarding U.S. assets, such as the Houston-based oil refiner Citgo Petroleum, from...

Trafigura has not ceased its contracts with Bolivia's oil and gas state company YPFB, a spokesperson for the company said on Thursday. The company was rejecting a claim made by Bolivian Energy Minister Mauricio Medinaceli. Medinaceli announced on Tuesday that Bolivia will suspend its gasoline contracts Trafigura, and with rival trading house Vitol, until the investigation into the alleged smuggling of poor-quality fuel from Chile is completed. Later, on Thursday, YPFB confirmed its main supply contracts are still in effect, ensuring a?continuity of supply. The state-owned company has announced that it has signed an addition to its existing contract with...

New York Times, Sunday, reported that the United States is allowing a Russian oil tanker to arrive in Cuba. This would be an easing of the de facto oil blockade Washington has placed on Cuba. Washington has effectively stopped all oil shipments to Cuba to exert pressure on the government in Havana. The U.S. temporarily lifted sanctions on Russia in order to improve the flow of crude oil which has been restricted by the U.S. military strikes against Iran and Israeli strikes. The Times report said that it was unclear as to why the Trump Administration allowed the shipment through....

The Philippines' ambassador to the United States stated that it is working closely with Washington in order to securing waivers and exceptions to allow oil to be purchased from sanctioned U.S. countries. This will 'ensure supply. The Philippines, which is heavily dependent on imported fuels, declared on Tuesday a national energy emergency in order to deal with Middle East War fallout, including oil procurement. In a series of phone messages, Jose Manuel Romualdez said: "We're working with the State Department on getting waivers or exemptions for oil purchases from sanctioned U.S. countries." Romualdez responded that "all options" are being considered...

Maria Corina Machado, Venezuela opposition leader, believes that early interest in Venezuela's oil industry is positive. However she has called for greater transparency and contract security. She said in an interview, before her afternoon address at the CERAWeek conference in Houston: "I am here to draw attention to Venezuela and not to delay it." Machado stated that the country could produce up to 5 million barrels a day with an investment of $150 billion. The country currently produces around 1 million barrels of oil a day. She believes that Venezuela's PDVSA, the state-run oil company, will eventually be reduced in...

The U.S. has 'extended sanctions waivers for Venezuela on Friday,' allowing investment into the petrochemical and energy sectors of the?South American nation and allowing fertilizer exports. Washington is trying to help American farmers who are being hit by the rising costs resulting from the Iran War. As part of this move, the U.S. Treasury Department updated three general licenses. The Department said that the changes are intended to help revitalize Venezuela's energy sector while also ensuring the global commodity markets stay well-supplied. However, it is not clear exactly how much fertilizer Venezuela has available to export or how fast it...

An official from the?industry?ministry said that Japan would consider buying Russian crude oil after the U.S. granted a 30-day waiver of?sanctions amid the Iran War, taking into account international conditions and its own?national interest. The U.S. waiver permits countries to purchase sanctioned Russian crude oil and petroleum products that are currently stranded on the sea. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described this as a move to stabilize the global energy market, which has been?roiled by Iran's war. Narumi hosokawa, the deputy general-director of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's (METI) immediate crisis management, said, "We will examine the issue in...

Brazil's government has scrapped diesel taxes and imposed a tax on oil exports. The move, which was made on Thursday, could affect the state-run Petrobras as it tries to ease the impact of recent global oil price spikes. The administration of President Luiz inacio da Silva said that the temporary measures will reduce the impact on local fuel prices caused by price swings resulting from the U.S./Israeli war against Iran. The South American nation cut the PIS federal tax and Cofins federal tax levied on diesel to zero. It also imposed a 12 percent tax on crude oil and a...

Oil prices spiked due to the war in Iran, and for now this has halted any monetary easing efforts by emerging market central bankers from Poland to Turkey. This is because policymakers are coping with an increase in inflation expectations as well as a rise in risk aversion. After a series of shocks, from the COVID outbreak to Russia's invasion in?Ukraine, that have shook markets, slowed growth, and fueled inflation, central banks are finally becoming more optimistic about global economic resilience?and easing price pressures. The dollar gained ground, and U.S. Treasury Yields rose as a proxy of borrowing costs in...

Brazilian sugar and ethanol ?producer Raizen said on Wednesday it had reached an ?out-of-court agreement with ?creditors and bondholders ?to restructureapproximately ?65.1 billion reais ($12.61 billion) in debt obligations. The company is a joint-venture between Shell, an oil giant listed in London, and Brazilian conglomerate Cosan. It has been in talks for months to find ways to improve its capital structure and reduce its debt. Raizen stated in a?security filing that creditors who hold 47% of the company's unsecured debt had already endorsed this plan. The company has 90 days to get enough?support to receive final approval. After that, the...

Two sources with knowledge of the matter said that Petrobras, the Brazilian state-run company which owns the oil industry in Brazil, plans to auction 20 million liters of diesel to the state of Rio Grande do Sul to address shortages. They said the auction would take place on Wednesday. The U.S. and Israel attacks on Iran are causing a spike in diesel prices, which is the most immediate and serious threat to Brazil's agricultural sector. Producers harvesting record soybean crops and planting corn cannot afford to delay. The initiative, according to a source who spoke under?conditions of anonymity, is necessary...

The mining ministry announced on Friday that the Peruvian 'government' has withdrawn an important authorization for Southern Copper's Tia Maria Copper Project and sent it back to authorities for review. This is a new obstacle for this long-stalled project. Tia Maria is one of the largest mines in Peru and the third largest copper producer in the world. Its target start date is late 2027, after more than a decade of local opposition by farmers and residents. The ministry of mining did not explain why it had revoked the permission to "start exploitation activities" issued in October. However, they said...

The National Assembly of Venezuela, controlled by the governing party, approved a law on mining that is expected to?open the sector to private and foreign investment. This follows the easing of restrictions in the U.S. economy to encourage foreign investment. Since the January raid in which President Nicolas Maduro was captured, the administration of U.S. president Donald Trump has supported the efforts of acting President Delcy Rodriguez. Trump has repeatedly praised Rodriguez's?cooperation with the U.S. The law allows domestic, foreign, state owned and private companies to exploit "strategic mineral" and gold. The concessions are for 30 years maximum, but they...

According to sources familiar with these talks, Canada and South 'America's Mercosur are moving towards a free trade agreement. It could be signed before the end of this year. One official from Canada, Argentina, and Brazil said that they expect the deal to be completed in 2026. Another stated that discussions are progressing well, and could be finished before September. An official from the Argentinean government said that an agreement would be expected to be signed by September or October. This will mark roughly a year after formal negotiations were restarted. A second diplomat based in Brazil also confirmed that...

Codelco (Chilean state-owned) is the largest copper producer in the world. It reported on Friday a profit before tax of $4.85 billion by 2025. The company reported that it had produced 1.33 million tons of pig iron through December, an increase of 0.5% over 2024. The state-run company also reported earnings before taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), which was $6.67 billion in 2025, a 23% rise compared to the year before. Codelco reported that production at its Ministro Hales and Radomiro Tomic mines, and at the Salvador mine, helped offset declines at Chuquicamata, Gabriela Mistral and due to geological factors....

The antitrust regulator of the South American country has given the green light to a joint mining plan between Codelco and Anglo American for the Andina Los Bronces project. Chile is the top copper producer in the world. Anglo American is one of the major operators in this Andean nation. Codelco said that the project is progressing with the regulatory approval process. The project has already been approved by competition watchdogs from China, Brazil and South Korea. The remaining steps are the acquisition of environmental permits, creation of the joint entity and consultations within the local community. Codelco and Anglo...

Albemarle, the largest lithium producer in the world, announced on Wednesday that it had begun the environmental review process for its first Direct Lithium Extraction project (DLE) in Chile. Albemarle stated in a press release that the project was designed to recover twice as much lithium while reducing the amount extracted of brine compared?to the current operations. Albemarle said in a submission to the Chilean Environmental Assessment Agency that if the project were completed, it would require a total investment of $3.1 billion with a useful lifetime lasting until 2045. The initiative is aimed at a?more sustainable and efficient production...

Analysts and industry executives say that India's imports, which are a vital?raw material for steelmaking?, will reach a seven-year high in the fiscal year ending March 31. This is due to a shortage of ore of high quality and JSW Steel's demand. Analysts and trade officials have said that the total imports will likely reach 12 to 14 million tons in 2025-2026, which is more than double what they were a year ago. JSW Steel, India's biggest ?steelmaker by capacity, was a key driver of iron ore imports for its mills in the western state of Maharashtra ?and the southern...

The Peruvian president Jose Maria Balcazar appointed Waldir Ayasta on Monday as the new minister of Energy and Mines of the country. This follows the resignation of his predecessor Angelo Alfaro on Sunday after he was accused of raping an underage girl in 2000. Ayasta has been sworn in at the Government Palace of Lima by the President and now takes the helm of the Andean nation’s most important economic sector. The mining industry accounts for 60% of Peruvian exports and is the world's 3rd largest copper producer. Alfaro has denied any wrongdoing, but did not contest the claim that...

Analysts on Monday said that a $1.2 billion bridge-loan secured by Brazilian steelmaker CSN last week from banks does not ease the group's need to sell assets in the near future and deal with its ballooning debt. Analyst?Pedro?Galdi at AGF said that the company is in a "firefighting mode". He expects that the company will continue to prioritize divestments in order to raise up 18 billion reais (about $3 billion) and reduce its debt. CSN reported recently that this debt had exceeded 40 billion reais. The company signed a binding agreement with a group banks at the end of the...

An EU Commission spokesperson said that the European Union was in the "last miles" of negotiations for a trade deal with Australia. The EU is attempting to diversify its trade, reduce its dependence on China, and mitigate the impact of U.S. Tariffs. Since President Donald Trump launched his global tariff offensive in 2017 and China cut back on exports of vital minerals, the European Commission has been accelerating talks to achieve free trade agreements. In the last six months, it has already signed trade agreements with Indonesia and India. The European Commission's President Ursula von der Leyen will be visiting...

Data from the nation's INEI statistical agency revealed that Peru's economy grew 3.54% on an annual basis in January. This was driven by growth across most economic sectors, including construction, commerce and mining. The Central Bank's Chief?economist estimated that the figure would be around 3.5%. The National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI), in a report released on January 15, said that the mining sector grew by 3.08% compared to the previous year after?two consecutive declines. The increase in January was due to a rise in production of copper, zinc, and gold. Peru is the third largest copper producer in...

Chile and the U.S. signed a statement on Thursday to start?discussions about rare earths and critical minerals. It was added that the first meeting would take place in 'the next two weeks. The areas of possible coordination include public-private financing of mining projects, management of scrap minerals recycling and exploration of new projects that can help boost mineral supplies in both countries. The Trump administration is pushing to reduce the reliance on China in a number of key minerals that are used for electric vehicles, semiconductors defense systems and consumer electronics. Chile is the second largest lithium producer in the...