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Brazil’s chemical industry sales are forecast to jump 23.4% in 2011 to US$159bn, industry association Abiquim said in a release Monday (Dec 12).

In local currency terms, this represents an increase of 15.8%.

Sales of chemical products for industrial use are expected to rise 24.5% to US$76.2bn, while fertilizer sales will jump some 47.5% to US$16.9bn, according to Abiquim.

The trade deficit is expected to hit a record US$25.9bn, widening from US$20.7bn in 2010.

In 2011-16, some US$19.1bn of investments are planned or underway in the chemical products for industrial use sector, the release added.

Why settle for this one story when you can access all our news?

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Travelers from India visiting a foreign country need insurance coverage to pay the medical bills in case of an emergency. The insurance companies in India have designed overseas medical insurance plans exclusively for travelers from India. These plans are also called as Indian travel medical insurance plans. The coverage of travel insurance plans is designed to meet the requirements of young and old travelers.

Indian travel insurance plans designed by well known insurance companies can be compared at Eindiainsurance. The compare tool is user friendly and the purchase process is quick and convenient for the travelers. You can take travel insurance quote by filling a simple application.

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Fewer Americans filed for their first week of unemployment benefits last week. So few in fact, that initial claims were at their lowest level since May 2008.

About 366,000 people filed initial jobless claims in the week ended Dec. 10, the Labor Department said Thursday. That was a decrease of 19,000 from the prior week, and far better than the bigger influx of claims that economists were expecting.

Last week marked the lowest level of initial unemployment claims since May 31, 2008, a welcome sign that hiring may have picked up further in December. Economists often look for the weekly tally to stay below 400,000 to signal that job growth is strong enough to lower the unemployment rate, which is currently at 8.6%. Read Full Post…

Mexican state oil company Pemex’s deepwater ambitions could “die on their own” following the 2012 change in government, unless an oil reform enables new forms of drilling, Mexican energy expert David Shields said at an event in Mexico City.

“In this administration, deepwater has been the fashionable topic. In the energy field, there are many fashions: one day it is petrochemicals, the next it is the energy reform, today they are talking about shale, and we go from one fashion to the other. And I think the fashion of deepwater could easily die,” Shields said.

Pemex has focused on ramping up deepwater exploration during Mexican President Felipe Calderуn’s administration, which began in 2006.

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I make about $ 1,200-1,400 per month working part time and worked here for over a year. I was wondering if i would be approved for a $ 15,000 loan for a new car if i have 35% down payment and have a credit score of 725? (I also dont really need to pay rent or much bills)

The only constant in life is change and that said, What will you do if you have a car payment and a year or two or three from now, your situation changes and you have medical bills or you have to pay rent? As a working person, we all should be paying a share of rent or the mortgage. Its not fair to whomever youre living with to expect to not pay rent but pay monthly to get a new car.

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We visit foreign countries for varied reasons and stay there for certain period of time. The domestic health insurance coverage in any foreign county will not be applicable for visitors. Those who need insurance coverage should purchase exclusive medical insurance plans that are designed for travelers. While you are visiting any country from India, Cholamandalam travel insurance can be your insurance option to safeguard yourself from financial crisis in case of an emergency.

Cholamandalam travel insurance plans can be purchased by travelers belonging to age group between 3 months to 70 years. Travelers up to the age of 60 can purchase this plan for a period of 360 days and those who are between 61 to 70 years can purchase Chola travel insurance up to 180 days.

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With year-end rapidly approaching, it’s time to consider making some moves that will cut your tax bill.

Before acting on our recommendations, be sure to gauge your 2012 income expectations. Moves you make this year may affect next year’s taxes, detailed in the table below.

With that in mind, here is the first installment of our two-part series on year-end tax planning ideas for individuals.

Game the Standard Deduction

If your total annual itemized deductions are usually close to the standard deduction amount, consider the strategy of bunching together expenditures for itemized deduction items every other year, starting with this year.

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