Brazil 2012 Trade Surplus Narrows to $19.44 Billion Vs $29.79 Billion in 2011

BRASILIA--Brazil registered a narrower trade surplus in 2012 as weak global economic growth reduced demand for the country's products abroad.

Brazil Swap Rates Fall on Central Bank Signal; Currency Gains

Brazil swap rates dropped toward a record after the central bank signaled it will keep borrowing costs at an all-time low for an extended period.

In Colombia, Obama seeks to focus on US economy

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Putting an election year spin on his international agenda, President Barack Obama on Friday cast Latin America's rapid rise as a business opportunity for the U.S. economy.

October Rate Cut Prediction Shows U.S. Slump Spilling Over: Mexico Credit

Mexico will follow Brazil and Turkey in cutting interest rates next month to help shield the economy from a slowdown in the U.S., swaps trading shows.

Yields on futures contracts for October, known as TIIE, sank 11 basis points in the past month to 4.73 percent, indicating traders expect central bank Governor Agustin Carstens to lower the benchmark 4.5 percent rate when the board meets Oct. 14. Those wagers signal a reversal for traders who expected as recently as Aug. 25 that Carstens’s next move would be to raise borrowing costs from a record low.