World Perspectives

Greenest Exporters; Slow to Go Green

Greenest Exporters Transatlantic duties on steel and aluminum were suspended in 2001 after the U.S. and EU agreed to pursue a Global Arrangement on Sustainable Steel and Aluminum. The arrangement would “use trade policy to confront the threats of climate change and global market distortions…” Although a carbon tax does not currently apply to food trade (just the EU’s deforestation policy), what will be impacted when policymakers go after the food trade?  USTR has asked the USITC to probe this question in terms of steel and aluminum and an analysis by The Breakthrough Institute provides a start on such analysis for food. Using data from UNFAO, it finds that on a per unit of output basis that the U.S. has the l...

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livestock

Livestock Industry Margins

Beef packer margins fell $68/head last week and marked the third straight week of declines to end near -$220, which is back among the worst margins in the past decade. The culprit for weaker margins was an $6/cwt pullback in the Choice cutout and broader beef markets while fed cattle prices ral...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Weather Overrides Trade Deal; Cattle Hit New Highs on Tight Inventories

The big news for Monday’s ag market trade wasn’t the U.S.-EU trade deal, but rather continued favorable weather in the U.S. Midwest that will boost corn and soybean yield potential to record or near-record levels. The weather has private analysts boosting yield expectations by sever...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

WPI Crop Progress and Conditions App (Updated 28 July)

Update for 28 April 2025: Last year, users pointed out differences between the 5-year averages reported in this app and what USDA estimates in its weekly report. The difference exists because WPI calculates average based on the last 5 years of observations for the current week. In cases where o...

livestock

Livestock Industry Margins

Beef packer margins fell $68/head last week and marked the third straight week of declines to end near -$220, which is back among the worst margins in the past decade. The culprit for weaker margins was an $6/cwt pullback in the Choice cutout and broader beef markets while fed cattle prices ral...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Weather Overrides Trade Deal; Cattle Hit New Highs on Tight Inventories

The big news for Monday’s ag market trade wasn’t the U.S.-EU trade deal, but rather continued favorable weather in the U.S. Midwest that will boost corn and soybean yield potential to record or near-record levels. The weather has private analysts boosting yield expectations by sever...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

WPI Crop Progress and Conditions App (Updated 28 July)

Update for 28 April 2025: Last year, users pointed out differences between the 5-year averages reported in this app and what USDA estimates in its weekly report. The difference exists because WPI calculates average based on the last 5 years of observations for the current week. In cases where o...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Dec 25 Corn closed at $4.14/bushel, down $0.05 from yesterday's close.  Sep 25 Wheat closed at $5.385/bushel, up $0.0025 from yesterday's close.  Nov 25 Soybeans closed at $10.115/bushel, down $0.095 from yesterday's close.  Dec 25 Soymeal closed at $279.3/short ton, down $2.3 fr...

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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.

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