China Blocking Discharge of U.S. Soybean Cargoes When China imposed an additional 25 percent tariff on U.S. soybeans on 6 July, it was assumed that they could still be imported if the duty was paid. However, that appears to not be the case as reports indicate China has prevented the discharge of shipments despite the importers’ willingness to pay. The Ultra Panther, a ship carrying 66,000 MT of U.S. soybeans, has been docked in the port of Beihai for over a month without being unloaded. Likewise, the Elsa S arrived in Qingdao in late September, and it also has not been allowed to discharge its soybean cargo. Reuters reported today that another ship, Star Laura, was scheduled to arrive in Qingdao yesterday with 36,000 MT but changed...
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
Forecasting developments in production agriculture
On behalf of a private U.S. agricultural technology provider, WPI’s team generated an econometric model to forecast the movement of concentrated corn production north and west from the traditional U.S. Corn Belt. WPI’s model has subsequently provided quantitative support to a multi-million-dollar investment into short-season corn variety development. WPI’s methodology included a series of interviews with regional grain elevators and seed consultants. Emphasizing outreach and communication with stakeholders who possess intimate sectoral knowledge – on-the-ground insights – is a regular component of WPI’s methodologies, made possible by WPI’s ever-growing network of industry contacts.