Because the political far left and far right are now conspiring against trade liberalization, it is speculated that TPA will not be considered in Congress until after the 4 November mid-term election. Trade Agenda's Bad Timing The trade policy agenda calendar for 2014 is complex to say the least. Ideally, Congress first considers and passes Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) followed by consideration of proposed trade agreements in an odd numbered (non-election) year. Instead, President Obama heads to Asia in April in what is expected to be a victory tour for successful completion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations. Meanwhile, Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) and the Generalized System of Preferences are slated for expirati...
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.