Values-Based Trading In the latest effort to block a trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur, activist groups Uplift and TASC issued a report claiming agricultural and climate practices in South America are “inconsistent” with EU values. Values-based trading now joins vaccine nationalism, digital discrimination, “national security,” and other spanners being thrown in the works of globalization. “Values” are a slippery slope. Nations and cultures have wildly varying standards on a plethora of issues that could be used as cause to block trade. Perhaps imports from the EU could be blocked because member states like Bulgaria, Lithuania and Romania do not recognize gay marriage. Even the GATT/WTO could n...
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.