Brazil’s growth forecasts fell for a seventh consecutive week as economists assessed the impact of a nationwide trucker strike, growing emerging market turbulence and domestic uncertainty ahead of the October presidential election. Economists in a weekly central bank survey lowered their 2018 estimate for gross domestic product to 1.76 percent, the lowest level for the year since President Michel Temer took office in May 2016 and fuelled hopes of faster economic recovery.

Jun 19, 2018 - Agencia Brasil – EBC

President Michel Temer said that Mercosur needs to make further strides towards an active role in the global economy. He expressed his support for the advancement of talks for a free-trade deal between Mercosur and the European Union (EU) during a speech directed at South American heads of state in Asuncion, Paraguay. “As for external negotiations, our choice is unequivocal—more and better opening. Instead of confining us to ourselves, we work together to bring our countries into the global economy. Our strategy is crucial to ensure the competitiveness of our products, employment generation, and income to our people,” he said.

Jun 19, 2018 - Canada Free Press

Brazil ranks eighth in the world in wind-generated power with 12,763 megawatts. The country is building offshore wind farms in the Atlantic Ocean where both the wind and noise are fairly consistent. One of Brazil’s offshore wind farms is a mile from the beach where the view and the noise is a constant reminder to the residents in the area. Investors in Brazil’s offshore wind industry are cautious, however, as the construction of transmission lines is slow, and poor infrastructure increases the price of imported parts. Further, lawmakers are proposing a tax on wind- and solar-generated power as the government plans to profit from their generation.