Brasil

The suspension of Brazilian beef exports to the European Union could redirect Brazil’s supply and increase competition for Paraguay in Chile and the United States, while Mercosur discusses how to divide a potential European quota.

The European Union’s two-year sanitary suspension of Brazilian beef could increase Paraguay’s presence in the European market, while also intensifying Brazilian competition in Chile and other regional destinations.

Paraguay ended 2025 with 16 banks, maintaining virtually the same number of institutions since 2013 and ranking among Latin America’s smallest banking markets, amid a regional decline from 551 to 524 banks over the period.

Paraguay granted 36,033 residence permits to foreigners between January and July 2026, 74% more than in the same period last year, including 23,994 to Brazilians, amid the expansion of the Investor Pass program and a 58% increase in applications.

ECLAC has lowered Paraguay's growth projection to 4.3% in 2026, keeping it among the highest in a region expected to grow 2.2% on average, despite warnings about vulnerabilities due to commodity dependence and structural problems.

Chia producers in Paraguay blame smuggling from Brazil for a nearly 50% price drop, while DNIT denies the existence of the problem.

The price of Paraguayan beef reached a historic record as the United States suspends import tariffs for ground beef, creating a strategic opportunity for the country's exports.

Senave issued a sanitary alert against the cassava 'Witches' Broom' pest that threatens food security and warned that the El Niño phenomenon may favor the emergence of other pests in various crops.

South America recorded a record grain harvest in 2026, with historic production in Paraguay, recovery in Argentina, and record-breaking output in Brazil, reshaping the global food supply.

An ABC Color investigation reports that a Singapore company less than a year old with an opaque structure offered $70 per MW to ANDE, more than double the price negotiated with Atome. The report identifies inconsistencies in the documentation and questions about the company’s investment capacity.

A tomato oversupply in Paraguay, caused by weather conditions and expanded planting, threatens to cause a sharp drop in prices, while authorities monitor the situation and producers warn of the need for market balance.

Moody's warns that low revenue and an increasingly rigid budget, with rising mandatory spending, limit Paraguay's fiscal space and reduce its investment capacity, despite the country maintaining stable debt levels and one of the lowest public expenditures in the region.

Paraguayan exports of soybeans and derivatives totaled $3.5 billion in the first seven months of 2026, a 41% growth compared to the previous year, with Argentina as the main destination.

H&M has opened its first store in Paraguay, with a second unit scheduled for next week, and confirmed plans to expand to Argentina in 2027, as part of its growth strategy in Latin America.

In a rare move, Brazilian media outlets published a joint editorial rejecting gambling house advertising, voluntarily renouncing a revenue source.

Paraguay's hotel sector recorded 43% growth in the first half of 2026, with an average occupancy of 61% driven mainly by business tourism and markets from Argentina and Brazil.

Paraguay and Brazil are negotiating an agreement to accelerate the transfer of convicts between the two countries, focusing on reducing bureaucratic delays such as official translations and implementing the Electronic Judicial File system.

Paraguay's beef exports fell 24.6% in volume in the first seven months of 2026, but the total value declined only 9% due to an increase of more than 20% in the average price per kilogram.

Paraguayan President Santiago Peña has enacted the law approving the Mercosur agreement to provide consular assistance to citizens in countries where their nation lacks representation.

Brazil begins a military operation on the border with Paraguay, called Operation Ágata, to combat crimes such as smuggling, arms trafficking, and drug trafficking.

The limited supply of fat cattle in Paraguay, caused by climatic factors and on-farm retention, is pushing prices upward and reducing slaughter schedules, intensifying competition among meatpacking plants amid external commercial pressure.

Brazil denies visas to two U.S. officials planning to meet with electoral authorities, citing risk of political manipulation, amid tensions between the two countries.

Historical documents, including treaties and the work of joint commissions since 1872, form the basis of Paraguay's position in the border dispute with Brazil over Salto del Guairá, a process that still has sections awaiting demarcation.

The USDA projects a favorable scenario for the global soybean supply in the 2026/27 crop year, while cereal production is expected to face a tighter supply.