Doomed or Muddling Through Global economic and political developments present many concerns, but there are a few less stark perspectives. The Year Ahead for Soybeans With high global soybean prices over the past six years, the U.S. and South America have sharply increased production to record levels. This has impacted global soybean ending stocks and consequently prices in the year ahead. Will the Republican Congressional Agenda Be Successful? The 2014 election provided a historic turnover in Congress that could bring many changes in the coming year. However, whether changes actually occur remains to be seen. Future Price Action and the Bell Curve The view that prices for agricultural commodities are entering a prolonged period of lo...
President Trump has opened the door to 100,000 MT of beef lean trimmings (limited to HTS codes 0201.30.5091, 0201.30.5097, 0202.30.5091, and 0202.30.5097) from countries listed under the “Other Countries” TRQ effective 1 September. These imports would not be subject to the over-quot...
Key Takeaways: CHS and OCP plan to invest up to $450 million in a Louisiana phosphate fertilizer facility capable of producing more than 1 MMT annually, marking the first new U.S. plant of its kind in more than 40 years. The facility could reduce U.S. dependence on imported finished phosphate...
A Small Industry Tied to a Global Benchmark The U.S. wool industry is small by global standards but heavily export-dependent, with roughly 60 percent of U.S. wool leaving the country each year. Australia, by contrast, dominates world wool trade. Because the U.S. lacks a deep domestic auction ma...
From WPI Consulting
Weighing in on strategic realignment
WPI’s team was retained by the governing board of a U.S. industry organization to review a decision, reached by vote, to invest significant assets into the development and management of an export trading company. WPI’s team conducted a formal review of this decision and concluded that the current level of market saturation would limit the benefits of the investment. Based on WPI’s analysis and recommended actions, the board subsequently reversed its decision and undertook a strategic planning effort to identify more impactful investments. On behalf of numerous clients, WPI has not only assisted in identifying strategic paths but also advised their implementation.