Bipartisan Trade Policy Major legislation being passed on Capitol Hill this year often involves partisan votes, with Republicans in the opposition and saying no to bills produced by the Democratic majority. However, on trade policy there is plenty of agreement between the two political parties. Attitudes toward the WTO have been bipartisan for years and remain so. There are bipartisan concerns about China, joint disappointment with Europe, and shared opposition to digital services taxation targeting American companies. The view toward Trump trade policy may be mixed but there is shared political belief that tariffs create leverage and, when used appropriately, are a legitimate tool for achieving a fairer trading system. Where...
What You Need to Know Today: President Trump claimed the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran was over, as both sides accused one another of violating the terms of the agreement. Commercial vessels are increasingly steering clear of the Strait of Hormuz as security risks escalate following Iran...
Key Takeaways: The CME Group is launching new 90 percent Lean Beef and 50 percent Lean Beef futures and options contracts in July. There are five key factors that must be present in physical markets and futures contract specifications for futures contracts to become successful. The two l...
From WPI Consulting
Forecasting developments in production agriculture
On behalf of a private U.S. agricultural technology provider, WPI’s team generated an econometric model to forecast the movement of concentrated corn production north and west from the traditional U.S. Corn Belt. WPI’s model has subsequently provided quantitative support to a multi-million-dollar investment into short-season corn variety development. WPI’s methodology included a series of interviews with regional grain elevators and seed consultants. Emphasizing outreach and communication with stakeholders who possess intimate sectoral knowledge – on-the-ground insights – is a regular component of WPI’s methodologies, made possible by WPI’s ever-growing network of industry contacts.