Fake Solutions The EU’s 2017 report on intellectual property rights and customs enforcement finds that food products comprised nearly a quarter of the 31 million fake and counterfeit products seized at the border. Moreover, nearly 90 percent of those offending food items were sourced from China/Hong Kong. Unsurprisingly, the solution proposed in a European Citizens’ initiative is to apply country-of-origin labeling (COOL) on all food products. The initiative claims that this will prevent fraud, protect public health and ensure accurate information to the European consumer. Someone thinking that COOL is the solution also must believe that “Italian” olive oil never contains Spanish content, or that European products...
What You Need to Know Today: USDA reports are delayed until Tuesday due to the federal holiday on Monday. Over the weekend, President Trump announced a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Russia warmly welcomed and confirmed this ceasefire by conducting more strikes against Ukraine. Specific...
On Saturday, 10 October, at a campaign rally in Clarksville, Tennessee, President Trump said that the U.S. and Mexico would come to terms on a new trade deal, and he said Canada does not need to be part of the deal. Trump called the coming agreement with Mexico “great” but gave no d...
Key Takeaways: The United States has steadily lost global wheat export market share since the 1970s, falling from the world's leading exporter to a projected fifth place in 2026/27. The rapid expansion of Black Sea wheat exports, driven by improved productivity and export infrastructure, has r...
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.