World Perspectives

Overwrought Iron; Ethanol Compromise Conflict; Inflation and Market

Overwrought Iron President Trump announced today that he would be imposing protective duties on imports of steel (25 percent) and aluminum (10 percent). The Twitteria reacted with scorn, calling them “heavy” duties, and the Washington Post’s Jennifer Rubin warned that if “Trump starts a trade war, any recession will be on him.” Perhaps, but some balanced perspective is needed. First, Trump is not the first president to fulfill a campaign promise and impose punitive duties on steel imports. George W. Bush did likewise in 2002. Like Trump, he said they would be imposed for a long time. After a WTO dispute settlement panel ruled them illegal because there had been no surge in steel imports, though, Bush withdrew...

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Beef packer margins improved sharply last week but remained deeply negative, with estimated net losses narrowing to -$206/head from the prior week’s extreme levels. The recovery was driven by a stronger boxed beef cutout, which rose to $371.62/cwt, while fed cattle prices moved lower on t...

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Market Commentary: Gulf Conflict Creates Volatility but Little Support for Grains

The primary drivers of Monday’s grain trade were, of course, the U.S. and Israel’s weekend attacks on Iran that killed the latter country’s Supreme Leader Khamenei and the subsequent cascade of impacts on global markets. WPI covers these impacts in more detail in our nearby ar...

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Conflict in the Gulf: Impacts on Shipping and Energy

For weeks now, global energy and geopolitical markets have been speculating about a possible conflict in the Middle East between Iran and the U.S., but they still seemed unprepared and entirely surprised by what happened this weekend. Without going into the details that news outlets have alrea...

livestock

Livestock Industry Margins

Beef packer margins improved sharply last week but remained deeply negative, with estimated net losses narrowing to -$206/head from the prior week’s extreme levels. The recovery was driven by a stronger boxed beef cutout, which rose to $371.62/cwt, while fed cattle prices moved lower on t...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Gulf Conflict Creates Volatility but Little Support for Grains

The primary drivers of Monday’s grain trade were, of course, the U.S. and Israel’s weekend attacks on Iran that killed the latter country’s Supreme Leader Khamenei and the subsequent cascade of impacts on global markets. WPI covers these impacts in more detail in our nearby ar...

farm-inputs energy

Conflict in the Gulf: Impacts on Shipping and Energy

For weeks now, global energy and geopolitical markets have been speculating about a possible conflict in the Middle East between Iran and the U.S., but they still seemed unprepared and entirely surprised by what happened this weekend. Without going into the details that news outlets have alrea...

Transatlantic Sensitivities; Political Calculations

Transatlantic Sensitivities The frustration between the U.S. and Europe runs both ways, but the calculation is still one of mutual need, as articulated by American Secretary of State Marco Rubio at last month’s Munich Security Conference. Two recent data points will exasperate the White H...

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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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