Friday, May 14, 2004
Econ Growth: 4.5 or 5.5? Reuters reports that "Peru's economy grew at a 4.59% annual rate in the first quarter, well above market forecasts of a 3.8 percent rise, driven by strong output in mining, construction and fishing," according to the National Statistics Institute (INEI). Bloomberg reports that the growth was 5.51 percent and says that this is the 33rd month of growth, "longest expansion in a decade, fueled by surging exports of fish and metals such as zinc, gold and copper." Also Cited: Boris Segura (Standish Mellon Asset Management). Dow Jones focuses on the INEI unemployment numbers: "Lima's Unemployment Rate Rises To 10.7% In April." A separate Dow Jones piece gives the run down of yesterday's economic activity.
Artichoke to Follow Asparagus: Reuters profiles the artichoke as the "next big agricultural export star, with sales this year expected to bring in $20 million," according to Jorge Fernandini, president of the Peruvian Institute for Asparagus and Vegetables. The Numbers: "Peru has some 4,942 acres (2,000 hectares) of artichoke crops and the area devoted to the crop is doubling every year." Complains Fernandini, "There are rumors that China is experimenting with artichokes and it would be a pain if they got into it and proved successful." The article also notes that artichokes are exported duty-free to the USA "under an Andean free-trade pact designed to promote legal trade and eradicate drug trafficking in the world's top cocaine producing countries.
AFujimori Extradiction: Reuters reports that the Ministry of Foreign Relations said in a statement that "Peru reiterates to the Japanese government the urgent need for a response to the extradition request [of AFujimori] which ... we presented to the Japanese authorities more than nine months ago." Peru has stated that the next option is for it "to go to the International Court of Justice in The Hague for a ruling on whether Japan or Peru should try him."
Coca Burning: Reuters shows several photographs of police burning seven tons of confiscated cocaine, marijuana, poppy and opium with Interior Minister Javier Reategui and Colonel Oscar Quea presiding. The Associated Press also has a few photographs of the burning. (This Reuters photo in particular looks eerily similar to photos of FRospigliosi in action.)
Free Trade? Pakistan's Daily Times reports that Peru "has imposed a 33 percent anti dumping duty on the import of poplin or cotton/polyester fabric from Pakistan." That turns out to be a tax of $1.13 per tonne on the import of poplin. The Pakistani commercial counsellor in the Pakistani embassy in Buenos Aires said that "concerned [Pakistani] companies did not fight the case at any level which is why the authorities in Peru gave their verdict in favour of their business community."
Health Workers Strike, cont: Reuters has a clear photo of police emitting tear gas at health workers' faces during their strike.
Orchid Grower Guilty: The Miami Herald (second item) reports that Manuel G. Arias, 70, "a prominent Peruvian orchid grower pleaded guilty on Thursday to smuggling a protected species in violation of international treaties for black-market resale in the United States." He faces up to two years in prison. "Arias, who had permission from the Peruvian government to export certain numbers of artificially propagated orchid species, admitted falsely labeling prohibited species of ''tropical lady slippers'' in shipments between 1999 and 2003. Arias would provide Norris with a code to decipher the real identity of the mislabeled plants."
Brazilian Beer Still Peru-bound: Just Drinks reports that Brazilian beer producer Companhia de Bebidas das Americas (Ambev) is still hoping to build a brewery in Peru. According to El Comercio, the company's international director Juan Vergara said: 'We have bought land in Huachipa, we have leveled it and we have 100% of the parts for the factory. What is happening is that we keep finding legal obstacles that keep us from going as fast as we want."
MLaura's Weaving: North Carolina's Herald-Sun profiles Maximo Laura a weaver from Ayacucho whose exhibition 'Destiny Knotted' features 14 of his tapestries. One of them, 'The Sowing Ritual,' is "predominately blue and green to represent spring, shows a group of people performing a ritual of prayer and music before they begin to plant seeds in the ground."
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Artichoke to Follow Asparagus: Reuters profiles the artichoke as the "next big agricultural export star, with sales this year expected to bring in $20 million," according to Jorge Fernandini, president of the Peruvian Institute for Asparagus and Vegetables. The Numbers: "Peru has some 4,942 acres (2,000 hectares) of artichoke crops and the area devoted to the crop is doubling every year." Complains Fernandini, "There are rumors that China is experimenting with artichokes and it would be a pain if they got into it and proved successful." The article also notes that artichokes are exported duty-free to the USA "under an Andean free-trade pact designed to promote legal trade and eradicate drug trafficking in the world's top cocaine producing countries.
AFujimori Extradiction: Reuters reports that the Ministry of Foreign Relations said in a statement that "Peru reiterates to the Japanese government the urgent need for a response to the extradition request [of AFujimori] which ... we presented to the Japanese authorities more than nine months ago." Peru has stated that the next option is for it "to go to the International Court of Justice in The Hague for a ruling on whether Japan or Peru should try him."
Coca Burning: Reuters shows several photographs of police burning seven tons of confiscated cocaine, marijuana, poppy and opium with Interior Minister Javier Reategui and Colonel Oscar Quea presiding. The Associated Press also has a few photographs of the burning. (This Reuters photo in particular looks eerily similar to photos of FRospigliosi in action.)
Free Trade? Pakistan's Daily Times reports that Peru "has imposed a 33 percent anti dumping duty on the import of poplin or cotton/polyester fabric from Pakistan." That turns out to be a tax of $1.13 per tonne on the import of poplin. The Pakistani commercial counsellor in the Pakistani embassy in Buenos Aires said that "concerned [Pakistani] companies did not fight the case at any level which is why the authorities in Peru gave their verdict in favour of their business community."
Health Workers Strike, cont: Reuters has a clear photo of police emitting tear gas at health workers' faces during their strike.
Orchid Grower Guilty: The Miami Herald (second item) reports that Manuel G. Arias, 70, "a prominent Peruvian orchid grower pleaded guilty on Thursday to smuggling a protected species in violation of international treaties for black-market resale in the United States." He faces up to two years in prison. "Arias, who had permission from the Peruvian government to export certain numbers of artificially propagated orchid species, admitted falsely labeling prohibited species of ''tropical lady slippers'' in shipments between 1999 and 2003. Arias would provide Norris with a code to decipher the real identity of the mislabeled plants."
Brazilian Beer Still Peru-bound: Just Drinks reports that Brazilian beer producer Companhia de Bebidas das Americas (Ambev) is still hoping to build a brewery in Peru. According to El Comercio, the company's international director Juan Vergara said: 'We have bought land in Huachipa, we have leveled it and we have 100% of the parts for the factory. What is happening is that we keep finding legal obstacles that keep us from going as fast as we want."
MLaura's Weaving: North Carolina's Herald-Sun profiles Maximo Laura a weaver from Ayacucho whose exhibition 'Destiny Knotted' features 14 of his tapestries. One of them, 'The Sowing Ritual,' is "predominately blue and green to represent spring, shows a group of people performing a ritual of prayer and music before they begin to plant seeds in the ground."
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