World Perspectives

Christmas Eve Policy Potpourri

Ship Subsidies: The SHIPS for America Act has been introduced in the U.S. Congress and is intended to boost the number of U.S. built ships. Currently, China builds over half the world’s ships, and over 90 percent are constructed in just three countries (China, South Korea, Japan). The U.S. builds just 0.1 percent of the world’s fleet. The Jones Act requires that half of American food aid be moved on U.S. flagged vessels. This reduces the amount of food aid because more money is spent on transport. The SHIPS act would give subsidies to agricultural exporters to offset higher shipping costs.Sliver of Truth: One outcome of the Trump era is the acknowledgement that there is always a sliver of truth. Economists generally think tariffs are distor...

Related Articles

Transportation Perspectives - 13 March

The conflict in the Middle East continues to dominate developments in energy markets and crude oil or natural gas tanker vessels, but as time passes the conflict’s relatively minor impacts on the dry bulk and container sector are becoming clearer. After a short-lived jump, dry bulk freigh...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Export Sales

Export Sales and Shipments for February 27-March 5, 2026.  Wheat: Net sales of 455,400 metric tons (MT) for 2025/2026 were up noticeably from the previous week and up 49 percent from the prior 4-week average. Export shipments of 432,000 MT were up 24 percent from the previous week, but dow...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

May 26 Corn closed at $4.625/bushel, up $0.0225 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Wheat closed at $5.985/bushel, up $0.0375 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soybeans closed at $12.2725/bushel, up $0.1325 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soymeal closed at $320.2/short ton, up $4.8 fro...

Transportation Perspectives - 13 March

The conflict in the Middle East continues to dominate developments in energy markets and crude oil or natural gas tanker vessels, but as time passes the conflict’s relatively minor impacts on the dry bulk and container sector are becoming clearer. After a short-lived jump, dry bulk freigh...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Export Sales

Export Sales and Shipments for February 27-March 5, 2026.  Wheat: Net sales of 455,400 metric tons (MT) for 2025/2026 were up noticeably from the previous week and up 49 percent from the prior 4-week average. Export shipments of 432,000 MT were up 24 percent from the previous week, but dow...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

May 26 Corn closed at $4.625/bushel, up $0.0225 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Wheat closed at $5.985/bushel, up $0.0375 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soybeans closed at $12.2725/bushel, up $0.1325 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soymeal closed at $320.2/short ton, up $4.8 fro...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Energy Volatility Sets the Tone for Commodities

Key Market Developments Crude oil has been the architect behind the violent price swings seen across the grain markets over the last four trading sessions. Corn, soybeans, and wheat have been trading almost as a mirror to crude oil, with speculative capital moving rapidly between markets as ene...

Image
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.

Search World Perspectives

Sign In to World Perspectives

Don’t have an account yet? Sign Up