World Perspectives
soy-oilseeds

Oilseed Highlights: Chinese Soy Imports; Damaged Ship Berth; Argentine Rain

VAT Reduction Causes Chinese Soybean Imports to Decline in April Chinese soybean imports fell to only 6.9 MMT last month, down 13.7 percent from April 2017 and less than analysts’ projections of about 8.5 MMT. The main cause of the decline was a reduction in the value-added tax (VAT) on soybeans from 11 percent to 10 percent as of 1 May 2018. Several importers apparently delayed discharging shipments until after that date as they could save close to $300,000 in VAT payment per shipload by doing so, an amount enough to cover several days of ship demurrage. China’s soybean imports during January-April totaled 26.49 MMT, down from 27.54 MMT in the same period of 2017. However, imports in May are expected to be higher than last ye...

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livestock

Livestock Industry Margins

Beef packer margins rallied for the third straight week and returned to positive values for the first time in a month. Margins rose $16/head and hit an estimated $15 as fed cattle prices fell another $2/cwt while beef values rose by the same amount. The outlook for packer margins is increasingl...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Markets Rally as Shutdown Starts to End

CBOT markets rode a wave of enthusiasm Monday with the winds of a partial reopening of the U.S. government, China trade optimism, and USDA’s upcoming WASDE report driving the sentiment. The Senate broke the filibuster late Sunday night as several Democrats joined Republicans in passing th...

livestock

Trump Calls for Meat Packing Anti-Trust Investigation

Late Friday afternoon, President Trump called on the Department of Justice to investigate potential anticompetitive practices in the meatpacking industry. In an announcement on social media, he wrote: I have asked the DOJ to immediately begin an investigation into the Meat Packing Companies who...

livestock

Livestock Industry Margins

Beef packer margins rallied for the third straight week and returned to positive values for the first time in a month. Margins rose $16/head and hit an estimated $15 as fed cattle prices fell another $2/cwt while beef values rose by the same amount. The outlook for packer margins is increasingl...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Markets Rally as Shutdown Starts to End

CBOT markets rode a wave of enthusiasm Monday with the winds of a partial reopening of the U.S. government, China trade optimism, and USDA’s upcoming WASDE report driving the sentiment. The Senate broke the filibuster late Sunday night as several Democrats joined Republicans in passing th...

livestock

Trump Calls for Meat Packing Anti-Trust Investigation

Late Friday afternoon, President Trump called on the Department of Justice to investigate potential anticompetitive practices in the meatpacking industry. In an announcement on social media, he wrote: I have asked the DOJ to immediately begin an investigation into the Meat Packing Companies who...

Beef, Pasta, Inflation

Replicating his predecessor, Mr. Trump is blaming corporate price gouging for currently high beef prices. Charging the industry with “Illicit Collusion, Price Fixing, and Price Manipulation,” federal prosecutors will be trying to prove the implausible. After all, beef company margin...

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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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