Despite devaluation, Argentina logs $160 million trade deficit in Macri's first full month in office
Argentina registered a merchandise trade deficit in January of $160 million, the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INDEC) reported today.
The pullback in the nation's trade balance during the first month of 2016 was due to a fall in average export prices, especially agricultural commodities, of 17%. The deficit in January was nevertheless registered during the first full month in which President Mauricio Macri's export tax decrees were in effect, as well as the first full month after the 40% devaluation of the peso ordered on December 17.
These policies were touted as an effective stimulus for exports of industrial products and crops such as soy, wheat, corn, and regional products such as orchard produce. Total merchandise exports, however, reached $3.886 billion - a 9.5% decline from the $4.294 billion reported at the same time last year.
Argentina's dependence on agricultural exports (mostly milled and processed goods) increased markedly last month, with the share of exports from this sector increasing from 61% of the total a year ago to 68%. Agricultural exports grew by 1.5%, to $2.638 billion, despite a 21% collapse in agricultural export prices over the past year.
Industrial exports, however, did not share in the improvement, and plummeted by 28.6% from $1.378 billion in January 2015 to only $984 million in January 2016 mostly on lower quantities - the lowest reading for industrial exports in a decade. Energy exports fared even worse, plummeting by a third to $144 million in January.
Imports, meanwhile, outstripped exports for the third month in a row. These reached $4.046 billion, 4.1% below January of last year. Import prices fell 10% from a year ago, and this helped offset the 6% rise in import quantities that resulted from the Macri administration's lifting of most import controls.
As was the case with exports, imports in January exhibited a noticeably uneven performance depending on the sector: while imports of intermediate goods (those used as inputs in the production of other goods) fell by 18% from the same time last year, imports of motor vehicles and parts soared by 121%. This sharp increase occurred despite a 15% drop in auto sales during January, compared to the same time a year ago.
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The whitewash of slavery was in the news in recent memory. Here's a quick bit on the subject:
Not Just “Workers”; Texas Textbooks Have Been Whitewashing History For Years
By Katie Singh on October 6, 2015
Just two weeks after a child’s arrest for making a clock (but really for of his religion and skin color) made national headlines, Texas schools are in the news once again for yet another incidence of racism.
This time, it’s for a Texas World Geography textbook that minimized the history of slavery by including it in a section called “Patterns of Immigration” and referring to slaves using language such as this:
The Atlantic Slave Trade between the 1500s and 1800s brought millions of workers from Africa to the southern United States to work on agricultural plantations.
Using words like “immigrant” and “worker” implies that slaves had a choice to come to this country, and received wages for their work — neither of which is true. What’s more, an accompanying page described white Europeans who came to the United States “as indentured servants, for little or no pay.”
More:
http://www.burntorangereport.com/diary/31122/not-just-workers-texas-textbooks-have-been-whitewashing-history-for-a-while
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McGraw-Hill to rewrite textbook after mom's complaint
By Melonyce McAfee, CNN
Updated 9:56 AM ET, Mon October 5, 2015
(CNN)—Textbook publisher McGraw-Hill will rewrite a section in one of its books after a Houston-area mother complained that it whitewashes the role of slavery in bringing Africans to America.
Roni Dean-Burren took to Facebook last week to vent her frustration over the wording of a passage in her son's "World Geography" textbook that calls African slaves "workers" and "immigrants."
"The Atlantic slave trade brought millions of workers ... notice the nuanced language there. Workers implies wages ... yes?" she wrote.
Dean-Burren's post gathered a lot of attention; a subsequent video sparked spirited feedback and had drawn 1.4 million page views on Facebook as of Sunday.
McGraw-Hill heard the outcry, reviewed the section and concluded that the wording doesn't live up to the publisher's standards.
"We believe we can do better," McGraw-Hill posted on its Facebook page Friday. "To communicate these facts more clearly, we will update this caption to describe the arrival of African slaves in the U.S. as a forced migration and emphasize that their work was done as slave labor."
More:
http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/04/living/mcgraw-hill-slavery-textbook-mom-complaint-feat/
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You may recall former Vice-warmonger, Dick Cheney's wife, Lynne, put out her own U.S. American history book for school children, as well, and that George W. Bush and Gov. Rick Perry took photo ops showing them reading the book to Texas school children:
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She said she wanted to give US American a more positive view of the country's history, that there had been too much negativity, etc.
Disgusting, and deceitful.
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Definitely appreciate the information about Macri's record of short-changing education during the bleak years of his mayor's stint in Buenos Aires. I hope those children will be able to get back the brain cells he probably murdered during his time there.
As for his actually representing the assassins and torturers, and kidnappers, and assorted deviants of the dictatorship as good citizens, it's startling he tried that crap so soon after their holocaust. It's wonderful that somehow that effort was thwarted, for the time being.
Sure glad you took the time to drop off this information for us. Thank you.