World Perspectives

A New Normal for U.S.-China Trade?

The modern U.S.-China trade relationship has always been strained. President George W. Bush addressed this challenge by bringing China into the WTO to force its compliance with global trading rules. However, that didn’t work. While two-way trade did grow significantly, so did China’s manipulation and disregard of WTO rules it didn’t like (including coercion on tech) along with the imposition of ad hoc non-tariff barriers on U.S. ag commodities. Over the decades, the latter have included beef, chicken, pork, corn, wheat, ethanol, and DDGS. Following that effort, President Obama focused on diplomacy and engagement, such as a bilateral investment treaty and the U.S.-China Economic and Strategic Dialogue. He also used i...

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feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Weather Overrides Trade Deal; Cattle Hit New Highs on Tight Inventories

The big news for Monday’s ag market trade wasn’t the U.S.-EU trade deal, but rather continued favorable weather in the U.S. Midwest that will boost corn and soybean yield potential to record or near-record levels. The weather has private analysts boosting yield expectations by sever...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

WPI Crop Progress and Conditions App (Updated 28 July)

Update for 28 April 2025: Last year, users pointed out differences between the 5-year averages reported in this app and what USDA estimates in its weekly report. The difference exists because WPI calculates average based on the last 5 years of observations for the current week. In cases where o...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Dec 25 Corn closed at $4.14/bushel, down $0.05 from yesterday's close.  Sep 25 Wheat closed at $5.385/bushel, up $0.0025 from yesterday's close.  Nov 25 Soybeans closed at $10.115/bushel, down $0.095 from yesterday's close.  Dec 25 Soymeal closed at $279.3/short ton, down $2.3 fr...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Weather Overrides Trade Deal; Cattle Hit New Highs on Tight Inventories

The big news for Monday’s ag market trade wasn’t the U.S.-EU trade deal, but rather continued favorable weather in the U.S. Midwest that will boost corn and soybean yield potential to record or near-record levels. The weather has private analysts boosting yield expectations by sever...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

WPI Crop Progress and Conditions App (Updated 28 July)

Update for 28 April 2025: Last year, users pointed out differences between the 5-year averages reported in this app and what USDA estimates in its weekly report. The difference exists because WPI calculates average based on the last 5 years of observations for the current week. In cases where o...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Dec 25 Corn closed at $4.14/bushel, down $0.05 from yesterday's close.  Sep 25 Wheat closed at $5.385/bushel, up $0.0025 from yesterday's close.  Nov 25 Soybeans closed at $10.115/bushel, down $0.095 from yesterday's close.  Dec 25 Soymeal closed at $279.3/short ton, down $2.3 fr...

Humiliating; Keep Your Enemies Close; Contradicting

Humiliating U.S. trade talks with China this week are not expected to net anything more than an extension of the current standoff, which means nothing for U.S. soybean exporters. Meanwhile, the trade agreement yesterday between President Trump and EU President Ursua von der Leyen offers up many...

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From WPI Consulting

Accountability and a comprehensive approach to export programming

WPI’s team helped construct a strategic approach to develop, implement, and track promotional activities in 8 key regions across the globe for an agricultural export association. With continued progress measurement and strategic advisory services from WPI, the association has seen its ROI from investments in promotional programming increase by 44 percent over the past 5 years. Not only does this type of holistic approach to organizational strategy provide measurable results to track and analyze, it fosters top-down and bottom-up organizational accountability.

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