China Agrees on WTO Reform Chinese officials are now echoing some of the WTO reform concepts being pushed in Washington and Brussels. Former Chinese central bank leader Zhou Xiaochuan acknowledged that some subsidies and forced technology transfers have been wrong and should be corrected. His caveat is that China wants a “competitive neutrality” or level playing field between state-owned and private enterprises. Meanwhile, Commerce Ministry official Zhang Jianping says the WTO’s special benefits for developing countries should be based on the size and structure of a nation’s economy and not through self-declaration as they are currently. Separately, National People’s Congress member Jiang Xiaojuan provided th...
What You Need to Know Today: After a period of limited activity, USDA reported a sizeable 613 KMT in soybean export sales, including 330 KMT to China and 283 KMT to unknown destinations, potentially also China. The purchases represent a meaningful pickup in demand and bring China closer to ful...
Key Takeaways: Consumer spending is a key driver of the U.S. economy, and the latest retail sales data indicate that spending remains robust despite inflation. In September, total retail and food service sales rose more than 6 percent year-over-year, with food service spending up 7 percent and...
The Trump import plan for 300,000 MT of beef supplies used for ground beef, i.e., lean trim, from September through November has, according to Secretary Brooke Rollins, brought some relief to beef prices. The Executive Order states that the Secretary of Agriculture will analyze and review the m...
From WPI Consulting
Infrastructure investment due diligence
On behalf of a Canadian oilseed processer WPI's team provided market analysis, econometric modeling and financial due diligence in support of a $24 million-dollar investment in a Ukrainian crush plant. Consistent with WPI's findings, local production to supply the plant and the facility's output have expanded exponentially since the investment. WPI has conducted parallel work on behalf of U.S., South American and European clients, both private and public, in the agri-food space.