African Alphabet Rep. Don Beyer (D-Virginia) is asking the Biden Administration to reconsider Ethiopia’s suspension from AGOA trade benefits, arguing that it needs trade with the U.S. to recover from a two-year civil war. Such a review would be out of the normal review cycle. Separately, a State Department official has suggested the Administration is considering how to integrate AGOA with the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). Intentionally or not, these issues elevate the fact that with GSP and other forms of trade and aid policies, the U.S. operates a hodgepodge of alphabet soup policies that lack integration and coordination. Green Subsidies War U.S. agriculture has feared a new trade war with Europe after...
What You Need to Know Today: Russia rejected calls for a ceasefire in the Black Sea, including a proposal to halt attacks on civilian shipping that could help restore grain flows from Ukrainian ports. Tyson Foods announced plans to permanently close its Joslin, Illinois, beef processing facili...
The big news in the cattle markets yesterday was Tyson Foods’ move to close two more beef plants. One of them, the Joslin, Illinois, plant was shuttered immediately after the announcement. The other, in Eagle Mountain, Utah, is a case-ready plant that does not slaughter cattle. Tyson also...
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) on Wednesday. In July, the CPI rose 0.1 percent, seasonally adjusted, and rose 3.4 percent over the last 12 months, not seasonally adjusted. The index for all items less food and energy, or the “core” infla...
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.