Business news for Mon, 31 Dec 2007 & with word trade. 22 news.

Mortgage insurers saw defaults rise to a new monthly record in November, according to data published Monday by an industry trade group.

The World Trade Center owner will pay at least $9 million in fines for being at least a month behind on a deadline to turn over part of the site to a private developer.

Agricultural futures traded mixed Monday on the Chicago Board of Trade.

FT.com - US stocks pared earlier losses but remained in negative territory in mid-morning trade on Monday, the last trading day of the year, as investors digested fresh data on the housing market.

For South Texas corn farmer Brian Jones, the lifting of the last agricultural tariffs under NAFTA on Tuesday could make for a more profitable new year.

Europe stocks endeda half-session of trading flat, but finished the year with the first losses since 2002 as worries about the credit crunch and rising energy prices stymied action.

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- The dollar was mixed Monday, gaining on the euro but slipping against the yen and British pound sterling on the last trading day of the year. "The U.S. dollar continues to trade with a soft tone on the last day of 2007 in keeping with the past year's trend," wrote currency analysts at Brown Brothers Harriman. The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six major currencies, was at 76.210, up from 76.190 in late U.S. trading Friday. The dollar was buying 111.53 yen, down from 112.55 yen late Friday. The euro was trading at $1.4677, down from $1.4715 Friday and the pound was at $2.0027, up from $1.9932 Friday.

AFP - Europe's main stock markets fell in shortened trade on Monday -- the final dealing day of a year in which gains for equities have been curtailed by worries about the troubled US economy.

Dublin's ISEQ index closed 2007 in muted fashion today, down 17 points, or 0.24%, to 6,934 in a half day of trade.

CONCERN over job security is rising, according to a survey of Unite trade union.

European stocks slippedin morning activity, as a half-day of trade before the New Year's holiday kept many investors away.

They are a Christmas staple, but like those surplus socks and regrettable jumpers, many of the ?1bn of gift tokens received on December 25 will never be used. The Voucher Association, the industry's trade body, admits that a quarter of them are unlikely to be redeemed.

LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Europe stocks weakened out of the gate on Monday, a half-day of trade ahead of the New Year's holiday. Air France-KLM shares rose 1% in early trading Monday, following Friday's news that it's the preferred bidder to buy Alitalia . Cairn Energy , the Scottish oil explorer that surged last week on the back of deal speculation, strong oil prices and its re-entry into the FTSE 100, slipped 1.6%. London Scottish Bank tumbled over 16% after taking a provision and warning it won't be able to pay its final dividend. The FTSE 100 slipped 0.2% to 6,462.70 in London and the CAC 40 dipped 0.2% to 5,616.79 in Paris. German and Swiss markets were shut.

South Korea will make it easier for foreigners to trade stocks and bonds in the country's securities markets in a move aimed at winning developed-market status from index compiler FTSE Group.

A-listers in politics and government are in MPAA's audience. The previews you see in movie theaters are approved for all audiences by the Motion Picture Assn. of America. But the trade group for the major Hollywood studios saves one type of sneak peek for a more select crowd.

NOVI -- Long-awaited plans to turn the former Novi Expo Center into a trade center with bargain shopping deals have been called off due to obstacles that have arisen since March.

Trade level jumps of more than 50 percent with several of South Florida's trading partners have some in the import/export community perplexed.

Trade experts say businesses that join trade missions will get results if they know their way around in the foreign market, make lots of contacts, and follow up with frequent communication and visits.

Bush starts his last year in office intent on pushing his trade agenda, including a pact with Colombia. But the most important item on the list may be blocking legislation to crack down on trade with China.

Trade officials will kick off this week their seventh year of the Doha round of trade talks. The goal is a new global deal to encourage free trade, but what happens in the U.S. elections may prove as important to a deal as anything negotiators in Geneva can do.