Katy Bar the Door Malaysia had filed a WTO dispute settlement case against the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive, arguing it is prejudicil in limiting the amount of imported palm oil that could qualify under the scheme. Brussels has pursued other ways to limit imports of palm oil from Southeast Asia, for example arguing it contributes to deforestation. Yesterday, the WTO panel ruled that Malaysia failed to establish the specifics of any trade obligation violations involving Europe’s Indirect Land Use Calculation (ILUC). This will likely encourage other efforts to restrict imports along the same criteria. Pursuing Food Sovereignty French Minister of Agriculture Marc Fesneau has put his country’s “food sovereign...
The U.S. will observe Labor Day on Monday, 7 September. U.S. markets and the WPI office will be closed that day. The next edition of Ag Perspectives will be published Tuesday, 8 September...
Key Takeaways: Drought and changes to the multi-year trend in cow slaughter and retention have the potential to dramatically alter beef trim supplies and pricing, and WPI specifically models three different drought scenarios for fall 2026. Based on our models, WPI expects 90 percent lean...
Brazil’s broiler exports are up 29.9 percent by volume in July and up 43.3 percent in value, and for the January through July period, exports rose 15.2 percent by volume and 19.3 percent in value. China was the top customer in July with 75,000 MT after being closed in July 2025 due to HPA...
Key Takeaways: Dry bulk markets are mixed this week with larger vessel classes seeing strong demand from iron ore and coal while Supramax and Handysize rates remain steady. Congestion at the Panama Canal has eased but forward booking slots are showing signs of bottlenecks as draft levels...
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.