There is a debate over how much the coronavirus experience will impact international trade and globalization. On the one hand, dependence on supply chains that easily get broken and cross-contamination from international travel informs the negative side of the equation. On the other side are all of the economic benefits of global specialization and cultural integration. The genie is unlikely to be put back into the bottle, but it could change the landscape. For example, Japan is using the coronavirus experience to argue for more members in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for TransPacific Partnership (CPTPP). The experience in Japan with greatly disrupted existing supply chains is the need to diversify them further away from Chi...
What You Need to Know Today: Commodities were mostly lower across the board today after yesterday’s Federal Reserve meeting hinted at a potential interest rate hike later in 2026. The dollar index reached its highest level in over a year, and a strong dollar makes U.S. agricultural expor...
Tomorrow is the Juneteenth federal holiday, and the USDA, along with the rest of the federal government and the CME, will be closed, so the monthly Cattle on Feed report was released a day early. The total number of cattle on feed in feedlots with 1,000 head or more capacity on 1 June amounted...
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.