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☆ A worldwide lithium shortage could come as soon as 2025
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesThe world could face a shortage for lithium as demand for the metal ramps up, with some analysts forecasting that it could come as soon as 2025. BMI, a Fitch Solutions research unit, was among those that predict a lithium supply deficit by 2025. In a recently published report, BMI largely attributed the deficit to China's lithium demand exceeding that of its supply. "We expect an average of 20.4% year-on-year annual growth for China's lithium demand for EVs alone over 2023-2032," the report stated. While that could point to a global lithium surplus next year, shortages could start to plague supply chains in 2028.

Persons: Susan Zou, Corinne Blanchard, Deutsche, Blanchard, Zou Organizations: Sigma, Bloomberg, Getty, BMI, Fitch Solutions, Economic, Rystad Energy, P, Commodity, EV Locations: Itinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil, China, skyrocket, transportations, U.S, Europe

☆ Brazil clears bottlenecks to oust US as top corn exporter
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Ana Mano | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

"We celebrated a lot... when (corn export) volumes via northern ports equaled Santos," said Sergio Mendes, head of Brazilian grain exporter group Anec. "By using northern ports... you are saving 20 reais ($4.12) per ton (of corn)." Treemap with data from Cargonave show the percentage share of corn exports of Brazil ports in north and south part of the country. CHEAPER ROUTE TO CHINAThe new export capacity has helped grains shipped from Brazil's northern ports to compete on logistics costs with U.S. farmers. "The greater share of shipments through northern ports reflects cheaper freight costs compared to routes to the ports in the south and southeast," said Thome Guth, a Conab official.

Persons: Adriano Machado, Sergio Mendes, Louis Dreyfus, Brazil's, Thiago Pera, Santos, ", Thome Guth, Ana Mano, Brad Haynes, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, SAO PAULO, China, U.S, Cargill, Bunge, Louis Dreyfus Commodities, TCU, Shipping, U.S . Department of Agriculture, COFCO, Santos, Thomson Locations: Brasilia, Brazil, Santos, Ukraine, China, U.S, Northern, Madeira, Santarem, Barcarena, Itaqui, Canada, Argentina, Mato Grosso, CHINA, Iowa, Shanghai, Itacoatiara, Chicago, Para, Norte Sul, Tocantins, Goias, Minas Gerais, Mato

☆ Seven die in crash on bus carrying Corinthians soccer fans in Brazil
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Aug 20 (Reuters) - Seven people died in a bus crash on a highway in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais in the early hours of Sunday, said the state's military fire brigade. The bus was carrying fans of soccer team Corinthians, after they attended a match against Cruzeiro in the Minas Gerais capital, Belo Horizonte. Corinthians regretted the accident and expressed its solidarity with the families of the victims. Several other Brazilian soccer clubs also expressed their condolences. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is a Corinthians fan, offered his condolences to the family and friends of the victims.

Persons: Corinthians, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Lula, Rodrigo Viga Gaier, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Corinthians, Cruzeiro, Passengers, Thomson Locations: Brazilian, Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte

An aerial view shows trees as the sun rises at the Amazon rainforest in Manaus, Amazonas State, Brazil October 26, 2022. REUTERS/Bruno Kelly/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBRASILIA, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Brazil's government is looking to create a regulated carbon market with emissions caps for major companies and protections for indigenous communities involved in carbon-offset activities, a senior official said. After passing Congress, the regulations would require two years of emissions monitoring before the cap takes effect. For example, some developers have approached indigenous communities with unfair contracts offering meager payments, he said. The proposed legislation would establish criteria for such deals, guaranteeing broad consensus and equitable terms for indigenous communities involved.

Persons: Bruno Kelly, Rafael Dubeux, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's, Lula, Dubeux, Marcela Ayres, Bernardo Caram, Brad Haynes, Devika Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Finance, Climate, Thomson Locations: Manaus, Amazonas State, Brazil, Rights BRASILIA

Minister of Indigenous Peoples Sonia Guajajara said more Indigenous people felt comfortable identifying themselves as such. Tebet told reporters the new population numbers will allow for improved budget funding for policies to help Indigenous communities, in education but mainly in health services and basic sanitation to make up for government neglect. Half of Brazil's Indigenous communities live in the Amazon region, some 867,900, with the highest urban concentration in the city of Manaus, the capital of Amazonas state. But the main reason for the exponential growth in numbers, besides higher fertility rates among Indigenous communities, is the rise in visibility of Brazil's Indigenous movement, he said. "When you have strong Indigenous leaders bringing positive connotations to being Indigenous, this encourages people to begin identifying themselves," Barros said by telephone.

Persons: Vanderlecia Ortega dos Santos, Vanda, Ueslei Marcelino BRASILIA, Sonia Guajajara, Guajajara, Simone Tebet, Tebet, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's, Jair Bolsonaro, Lula, Leonardo Barros, Barros, Anthony Boadle, Aurora Ellis, Jamie Freed Organizations: Brazilian Institute of Geography, Teatro, REUTERS, Ueslei, IBGE, Government, Indigenous, Federal University of Viçosa, Thomson Locations: Belem , Para, Brazil, Belem, Portugal, Venezuela, Manaus, Amazonas, Minas Gerais

BRASILIA, July 18 (Reuters) - Brazil's government is considering changes to the taxation of closed-end funds and shareholder payouts in order to shore up revenue in next year's budget, said three senior economic officials with direct knowledge of the matter. The government signaled on Tuesday it would propose a comprehensive income tax reform only after the Senate has passed a consumption tax reform that cleared the lower house of Congress this month. A more complex and structural reform, involving income tax exemptions, taxation of profits and dividends and reductions to payroll taxes, would be presented after the consumption tax reform clears the Senate, the sources said. "When the budget bill is sent, revenue measures to meet the targets must also be sent, and some of these measures will already appear in the proposal," said one of the sources. Closed-end funds offer favorable investment opportunities to wealthier Brazilians by taxing earnings only when they are distributed to investors.

Persons: Marcela Ayres, Bernardo Caram, Brad Haynes, Matthew Lewis, Richard Chang Organizations: Finance Ministry, Finance, Senate, Thomson Locations: BRASILIA, Brasilia

"Everyone is expecting a rate cut," Finance Minister Fernando Haddad noted in an interview with RedeTV journalist Kennedy Alencar. Planning Minister Simone Tebet was even more emphatic, saying at an event in Rio de Janeiro that the central bank must start its easing cycle with a 50-basis-point cut. She said high interest rate levels were hurting the retail sector. However, they still diverge on the size of the cut, with 55% of those polled betting on a 25 basis point move while 32% expect a 50 basis point cut. On Thursday, Lula himself renewed calls on the central bank to cut interest rates.

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's, Fernando Haddad, Kennedy Alencar, Haddad, Simone Tebet, Lula, Gabriel Galipolo, Ailton Aquino, Lula's, Bernardo Caram, Rodrigo Viga Gaier, Gabriel Araujo, Steven Grattan, Josie Kao, Frances Kerry Organizations: RIO DE, Finance, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Thomson Locations: BRASILIA, RIO, RIO DE JANEIRO, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Brasilia

☆ Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro is barred from running for office until 2030
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro leaves his home following a search operation, in Brasilia, Brazil May 3, 2023. Far-right former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was barred Friday from running for office again until 2030 after a panel of judges concluded that he abused his power and cast unfounded doubts on the country's electronic voting system. Five judges on the nation's highest electoral court agreed that Bolsonaro used government communication channels to promote his campaign and sowed distrust about the vote. Speaking to reporters in Minas Gerais, Bolsonaro lamented that the trial was unfair and politically motivated. Brazilian law forbids candidates with criminal sentences from running for office.

Persons: Jair Bolsonaro, Bolsonaro, Carlos Melo, Judge Carmen Lucia —, —, Alexandre de Moraes, Melo, Fernando Collor de Mello, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Sen, Sergio Moro, Maria Maris, Maris, Lula, Swift jailing, Gleisi Hoffmann, mongers, Donald Trump, Marie Santini, Katia Caminha, Caminha, Bolsonaro's, Thomas Traumann, didn't, Traumann Organizations: Insper University, Liberal Party, Federal, Lula's Workers ' Party, Federal University of Rio, Bolsonaro, Associated Press, Sao Paulo Locations: Brasilia, Brazil, Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de, Copacabana, Sao, decamp, Florida

☆ Bolsonaro eyes 2026 candidacy for his wife as his political future evaporates
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Gabriel Stargardter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

RIO DE JANEIRO, June 30 (Reuters) - Former Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro's hopes of reclaiming the presidency in 2026 may be all but dead. A majority of Brazil's federal electoral court (TSE) justices on Friday froze Bolsonaro's political career, barring the far-right nationalist from public office until 2030 for spreading baseless claims about the country's voting system in last year's election. The majority ruling represents a devastating setback for the 68-year-old career politician who was until recently Brazil's most powerful man. Speaking on Thursday shortly after landing in Rio de Janeiro, where he was greeted with shouts of "criminal" and "coup-monger," Bolsonaro backed his wife Michelle for 2026. Michelle Bolsonaro is a political newcomer.

Persons: Jair Bolsonaro's, Bolsonaro, Michelle, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Tarcisio Freitas, Romeu Zema, Michelle Bolsonaro, Lula, William Douglas, Flavio Bolsonaro, Eduardo Bolsonaro, Steve Bannon, Gabriel Stargardter, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: RIO DE, Sao Paulo, Liberal Party, Evangelical Christian, Thomson Locations: RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Sao, Minas Gerais, Brasilia, Rio

☆ Brazil electoral court close to ending Bolsonaro's political career
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Ricardo Brito | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

So far three judges have voted to convict the far-right nationalist for abuse of political power and misuse of the media, while one has not. The TSE trial is part of a broader reckoning in Brazil with the fallout from the country's most painful election in a generation. While the former president faces electoral court scrutiny, many of his one-time allies are being questioned by lawmakers in a congressional probe into the Jan. 8 riots. Bolsonaro's best hope at future relevance may lie with his family, including his wife and lawmaker sons, who could also harbor their own presidential ambitions. He told the Folha de S. Paulo that his wife Michelle could well be a presidential candidate in 2026, but said she lacked political experience.

Persons: Jair Bolsonaro, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Donald Trump, Bolsonaro, Brazil's, Tarcisio Freitas, Romeu Zema, Paulo, Michelle, Ricardo Brito, Steven Grattan, Gabriel Stargardter, Angus MacSwan, Conor Humphries Organizations: Brasilia, TSE, Folha, Paulo, Sao Paulo, Thomson Locations: BRASILIA, Brasilia, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais

☆ Bolsonaro clings to his political future as electoral court case begins
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The outlook appears bleak for Bolsonaro, a career politician who was until recently Brazil's most powerful man. Tarcisio Vieira, Bolsonaro's lawyer, told Reuters this week that his polarizing client faces an "unfavorable" climate from the country's media and the political and judicial classes. In an opening speech, Vieira said the case against Bolsonaro was "doomed to failure." If the TSE rules against Bolsonaro, the 68-year-old could find himself unable to run for public office until 2030. Much of Brazil appears eager to move on from the fire and brimstone of the Bolsonaro years.

Persons: Jair, Salgado, Diego Vara, Jair Bolsonaro's, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Bolsonaro's, Tarcisio Vieira, Vieira, Bolsonaro, Lula, Tarcisio Freitas, Romeu Zema, Gabriel Stargardter, Brad Haynes, Chizu, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Electoral, REUTERS, Diego Vara RIO, Reuters, Bolsonaro, Sao Paulo, Thomson Locations: Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, JANEIRO, Brasilia, Jan, Minas Gerais

BRASILIA, May 16 (Reuters) - Brazil's Finance Ministry is preparing a new set of initiatives to increase tax revenue, including a review of deductions and exemptions for income tax on individuals, according to three sources familiar with the matter. Previous administrations have tried - and failed - to restrict income tax deductions, which allow taxpayers to use proof of certain expenses, such as medical and educational costs, to reduce their tax bills. The government estimates it is set to lose 51.1 billion reais ($10.2 billion) from exemptions, along with 31.3 billion reais from deductions in its 2024 budget bill. The finance ministry's revenue chief Robinson Barreirinhas said last month that the government was working on additional revenue measures to be announced in the second half of this year. He mentioned "very solid and consistent" studies regarding the potential to boost annual revenue by 155 billion reais as a result of combined efforts.

BRASILIA/BUENOS AIRES, May 4 (Reuters) - Argentina is seeking new easing of targets in its $44 billion deal with the International Monetary Fund and faster payouts, and is pushing to get key IMF members the United States and Brazil to support it, government officials said. It has ramped up pressure on Argentina and the IMF to revamp the debt program, the largest extended to any country worldwide. The ministry official said backing from the United States and Brazil was key for the IMF talks, and was "positive" about it given the countries' broader support for Argentina's economy. The U.S. Treasury and White House did not comment on record about potential support for Argentina's talks with the IMF. Argentina would need to reach a technical deal with IMF staff before any agreement went to the board for approval.

☆ Exclusive: Prosecutors in Brazil state sue AngloGold Ashanti over dam safety
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Marta Nogueira | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

RIO DE JANEIRO, April 26 (Reuters) - Public prosecutors in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais have filed a lawsuit against AngloGold Ashanti (ANGJ.J) seeking 50 million reais ($9.91 million) in damages after the gold mining company allegedly withheld expert advice from authorities indicating a lack of stability in one of its dams, according to a document seen by Reuters. The lawsuit also asks for several additional safety measures and says that "twice in 2022 the defendant had robust technical studies, prepared by specialized consultants hired by the company, which indicated the absence of stability in the dam" in Nova Lima and that it chose not to publish them. "(AngloGold Ashanti) simply concealed the fact that they existed and, after trying to convince the consulting firm to change its mind about the dam's stability, it decided to change the team in charge of the service," the lawsuit said. In a request for comment, AngloGold Ashanti said it has not discharged wastewater or effluents into the Queiroz dams since December 2022 and that production at the unit's plants has been halted since then, but did not detail the reasons for stopping the discharge of wastewater. ($1 = 5.0462 reais)Reporting by Marta Nogueira; Writing by Steven Grattan; Editing by Chizu NomiyamaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Factbox: World's biggest lithium producers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Carman Chew | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Chile holds the world's largest lithium reserves and is the world's second-largest producer. Australia is the world's biggest supplier, with production from hard rock mines. Rapid growth is forecast to be met by output gains in Australia, Chile and Argentina. WORLD'S BIGGEST MINESGreenbushes, Western Australia, by Talison Lithium (a joint venture of Tianqi Lithium (002466.SZ), IGO (IGO.AX) and Albemarle Corp (ALB.N)). Pozuelos-Pastos Grandes lithium salt lake, Argentina, bought by Ganfeng Lithium (002460.SZ), will produce 30,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate starting 2024, and can potentially be expanded to 50,000 tonnes.

Bolsonaro's electoral outlook contrasts sharply with former U.S. President Donald Trump, another right-wing populist who challenged the results of his failed re-election campaign. Bolsonaro never conceded his narrow defeat in the October election and continues to question the reliability of Brazil's voting system. RISING CONSERVATIVE STARSStill, conservative powerbrokers allied with Bolsonaro are ready to reshuffle the deck for the next election cycle. He said a TSE decision to bar Bolsonaro from running would only boost the ex-president's political appeal. Any right-wing substitute could win with his endorsement, he added, while side-stepping the high rejection rates Bolsonaro faced as a candidate last year.

BRASILIA, March 30 (Reuters) - Brazil's far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro, who never conceded defeat in last year's election, returns from self-imposed exile in Florida on Thursday to lead the opposition to leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro left for the United States two days before he was due to hand over the presidential sash to Lula on Jan. 1. His return to Brazil is eagerly awaited by the party's leader Valdemar Costa Neto, who wants Bolsonaro to become the leader of the opposition to the Lula administration and lead the PL into municipal elections next year. "Bolsonaro will lead the opposition and travel around Brazil preaching the party's liberal values and helping the PL grow," he told Reuters, outlining a plan for a right-wing comeback in the 2026 presidential elections. Barreto said her ambitions may provide an outlet for the ex-president's supporters if legal probes lead electoral authorities bar him from seeking office.

BRASILIA, March 29 (Reuters) - The goal of Brazil's new fiscal framework will be a zero primary deficit in 2024, followed by surpluses in subsequent years, as President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva seeks a sustainable trajectory for the country's public debt, government sources told Reuters on Wednesday. According to one of the sources, the primary surplus will be equivalent to 0.5% of GDP in 2024, rising to 1% of GDP in 2025. The new framework will combine a target for primary results with a spending rule and will have adjustment mechanisms in case of noncompliance. Sources spoke anonymously, as the topic is being addressed in private conversations with congressmen. Talking to reporters, Padilha said that the leaders of Brazil's Congress have indicated that, once submitted, the fiscal rules should be quickly approved.

☆ Brazil police carry out more raids as part of Jan. 8 riots probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SAO PAULO, March 7 (Reuters) - Brazil's federal police said on Tuesday they were carrying out new raids as part of a probe into the Jan. 8 riots in Brasilia, in which supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed government buildings. They were serving three arrest warrants and eight search and seizure warrants in the states of Minas Gerais and Parana, a statement said. The raids represent the seventh phase of an operation launched in mid-January to identify people who participated in, funded or fostered the riots, in which a mob invaded and ransacked the Congress, presidential palace and Supreme Court. Police did not disclose the names of those targeted in Tuesday's raids, but said they were being investigated for crimes of "violent abolition of the rule of law, coup d'état, qualified damage, criminal association, incitement, destruction and deterioration of specially protected property". Reporting by Gabriel Araujo, Editing by Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Brazil's government eyes compensation deal for 2015 Vale-BHP dam burst
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRASILIA, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Brazil's government will try to reach a deal "as soon as possible" on compensation for the 2015 burst of a tailings dam owned by Samarco, a joint venture between Vale (VALE3.SA) and BHP <BHP.AX>, Institutional Relations Minister Alexandre Padilha said on Friday. In a news conference in Brasilia, Padilha said the matter had been discussed at a meeting with state governors earlier in the day. "We will try and reach this compensation agreement as soon as possible in light of the environmental crime that was committed in Mariana," Padilha said. In late 2021, a study done by a company contracted by prosecutors showed the "socio-environmental" damage caused by the dam rupture was between 37.6 billion reais ($7.35 billion) and 60.6 billion reais ($11.85 billion). ($1 = 5.1126 reais)Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu; Editing by Isabel Woodford and Paul SimaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Pele, Brazil's sublimely skilled soccer star who charmed the world, dead at 82
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Andrew Downie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/5] Brazilian soccer legend and member of the 1958, 1962 and 1970 World Cup-winning Brazilian soccer teams Pele holds the World Cup trophy during the World Cup 2006 opening ceremony in Munich, Germany, June 9, 2006. Pele, whose given name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento, scored a world record 1,281 goals, and is the only player ever to win the World Cup three times. "Pele was one of the few who contradicted my theory: Instead of 15 minutes of fame, he will have 15 centuries," the artist said. Years later, when the United States won the right to host the 1994 World Cup, the head of the U.S. soccer federation called Pele the "most important" reason why. Pele's 1,281 goals in 1,366 games, as tabulated by FIFA's website, came at a startling rate of 0.94 per match.

☆ How a maverick Brazil lawmaker helped Lula beat Bolsonaro's propaganda machine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Gabriel Stargardter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov 10 (Reuters) - To bring down far-right Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, Andre Janones had to fight fire with fire. Janones also raised eyebrows among some in Lula's Workers Party (PT) for his vulgar attacks on Bolsonaro and his allies. One senior Lula aide defended the role of Janones, saying he could tread where the official campaign did not dare. He was the most prominent Lula ally to drop the gloves in a bruising run-off race that took even Bolsonaro's campaign by surprise. Despite his hell-raising, Janones has not lost sight of digital media as a public service.

☆ Bolsonaro-Lula presidential race down to the wire in Brazil, polls show
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( Anthony Boadle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A survey by pollster MDA showed Lula's edge slipping to just 2 percentage points, equal to the margin of error for the poll commissioned by transport sector lobby CNT. But Bolsonaro outperformed opinion polls in the first-round vote on Oct. 2, and many analysts say the election could go either way. The final opinion surveys by pollsters IPEC and AtlasIntel, however, showed Lula holding a stable and slightly larger lead. AtlasIntel, among the most accurate pollsters in the first round, showed Lula's lead holding at 7 percentage points. Lula vowed to revive those boom times, while Bolsonaro suggested current social programs are more effective.

☆ Brazil's rural boomtowns ensure Bolsonarismo's future
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Gabriel Stargardter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

REUTERS/Gabriel StargardterCATANDUVA, Brazil, Oct 28 (Reuters) - The small city of Catanduva in the rural farm belt of Sao Paulo state has been ahead of the political curve in Brazil. The residents of Catanduva, who have benefited from robust Chinese demand for Brazilian commodities, are now fully behind Bolsonaro. Since Sahao stepped down in 2005, the PT has spent nearly two decades locked out of power at Catanduva's city hall. Across Sao Paulo, countless PSDB mayors and state lawmakers have, like Father Oliveira of Catanduva, thrown in their lot with Bolsonaro. Bassitt, the farmer, said the conservative values of rural, small-town Brazil were now the driving force in national politics.

☆ Bolsonaro attends rally ahead of runoff election
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PoliticsBolsonaro attends rally ahead of runoff electionPostedBrazilian incumbent and presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro attended a campaign rally in Minas Gerais on Tuesday (October 18) ahead of the runoff election on October 30.

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