Argentina:
GDP: + 7.9% in Q2 (change on year ago)
Industrial
Production: + 7.6% year on year in month of August
Consumer Prices: + 10.4% in the 12 months up to the end of September - a one-year low. However, monthly inflation was at 0.9% in September, up from 0.6% in August
Trade Balance: + $11.3 billion in the 12 months up to the end of August
Current Account Balance: + $7.4 billion for the 12 months up to the end of August
Currency: Peso 3.10 to US$1 October 4 (Peso 2.92 to US$1 a year ago)
Steel
Production: 464,000 mt in August (almost unchanged from August 2005). In the first eight months of 2006, 3,767,000 mt were produced, 4.7% up on the same period of 2005
Brazil:
GDP: + 1.2% year on year in Q2. The forecast for 2006 is for a disappointing 3.1%
Industrial
Production: + 3.2% year on year in month of August
Consumer Prices: + 3.8% year on year in month of August. The inflation rate slowed to 3.7% for the twelve-month period up to mid-September
Trade Balance: + $46.3 billion for the 12 months up to the end of September
Current Account Balance: $13.8 billion in the last 12 months up to the end of August
Currency: Real 2.17 to US$1 as of October 4 (Real 2.28 to US$1 a year ago)
Automotive Vehicle
Production: 203,043 units in September, + 10% over last year
Steel
Production: 2.812 million mt in August. For the first eight months of 2006, the figure was 20.015 million mt which was 4.9% less than the same time period of 2005
Chile:
GDP: + 2.7% year on year in the month of August. This was the slowest pace in three years and was in large part caused by the Codelco copper mine strike. The yearly growth for 2006 could fall to under 5%
Industrial
Production: + 1.2% year on year in month of August
Consumer Prices: + 2.8% year on year in month of September. The monthly inflation rate in September was 0% while in August it was at an annual rate of 2.8% - a 15-month low
Trade Balance: + $18.5 billion for the 12 months up to the end of August
Current Account: + $2.2 billion in the 12 months up to the end of Q2
Copper Price: $3,380 / lb for delivery in December, up 62% for the year
Currency: Peso 535 to US$1 as of October 4 (Peso 528 to US$1 a year ago)
Steel
Production: 140,000 mt in August (estimated). The figure was 1.080 million mt for the first eight months of 2006, almost identical to the same period last year
Venezuela:
GDP: soaring oil revenues, government spending and consumer demand make for a solid growth rate. 9.9% in Q1, 9.2% in Q2 and an estimated 9.0% for Q3 (all figures are year on year)
Industrial
Production: + 14.3% year on year in month of June
Consumer Prices: + 15.3% (!!) year on year in month of September. The inflation rate for the year is expected to be around 15%
Trade Balance: + $37.2 billion in the 12 months up to the end of Q2
Current Account Balance: +$29.5 billion in the 12 months up to the end of Q2
Currency: Bolivar 2,807 to US$1 October 4 (Bolivar 2,799 to US$1 a year ago)
Steel
production: 380,000 mt in August (estimated). For the first eight months of 2006, the figure was 3.225 million mt (slightly over the 3.177 million mt of the same period last year).