Deforestation Proxy It was revealed this week that Brazil is exporting 120 KMT of soybeans to the U.S. and the State Department immediately announced that the Biden Administration will use trade policy to reverse deforestation, including imposing import restrictions on goods where production impacts forests. It could just be coincidence but Washington has been angry that Brazilian President Inácio Lula da Silva has seemingly sided with Russia over Ukraine. While in China, da Silva blamed the U.S. for prolonging the war. The Biden White House accused him of “parroting” Russian propaganda. The enmity extends to Ukraine where President Volodymyr Zelensky intentionally snubbed da Silva at the G-7 meeting. Although Brazil has...
What You Need to Know Today: The hot, dry weather forecast continues to drive strength in grain futures with corn and soybeans hitting another day of strong gains. Monday’s Crop Progress and Conditions data were in line with market expectations and showed relatively few concerns for the...
Yesterday we wrote about the Q1 GDP numbers and the June employment reports in an article entitled Real GDP for Q1 Relying on AI Buildout, Held Back by Consumer Spending. That article mentioned that consumer spending had become a drag on GDP. Nonetheless, real GDP in Q1 was revised upward to 2...
Key Takeaways: The Middle East and North Africa's arid climate and limited water resources have created a structural dependence on imported wheat. Government wheat tenders in major importing countries serve as important benchmarks for global trade, providing insight into exporter competitivene...
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.