For countries that supply renewable agricultural commodities to world buyers, a more perfect world occurs during a year when global demand for a particular one of those is growing while its production in most other competitors declines. In a sense, that is what is happening in the world wheat market of 2018/19. It seems as though Mother Nature targeted production in most major wheat-exporting countries with adverse weather but did so far more leniently by comparison with the U.S. wheat crop. The world set wheat production records in each of the past four years that outstripped demand. After reaching an estimated 658.7 MMT 2012/13, production had climbed more than 100 MMT to 757.9 MMT by 2017/18. However, world wheat use from 2012/13 to 201...
What You Need to Know Today: Wheat futures pulled back sharply after Russian President Putin said there was a “chance” for peace and an agreement to end the war in Ukraine. There is plenty of skepticism about the opportunity for peace in Ukraine, but that didn’t stop wheat fr...
President Trump has opened the door to 100,000 MT of beef lean trimmings (limited to HTS codes 0201.30.5091, 0201.30.5097, 0202.30.5091, and 0202.30.5097) from countries listed under the “Other Countries” TRQ effective 1 September. These imports would not be subject to the over-quot...
Key Takeaways: CHS and OCP plan to invest up to $450 million in a Louisiana phosphate fertilizer facility capable of producing more than 1 MMT annually, marking the first new U.S. plant of its kind in more than 40 years. The facility could reduce U.S. dependence on imported finished phosphate...
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.