The years-long effort to achieve a final outcome in the country-of-origin labeling (COOL) case by Canada and Mexico against the U.S. is one more example of how the WTO’s Dispute Settlement Understanding (process) is broken. Dispute Settlement is Broken The years-long effort to achieve a final outcome in the country-of-origin labeling (COOL) case by Canada and Mexico against the U.S. is one more example of how the WTO’s Dispute Settlement Understanding (process) is broken. While it typically takes two years for an initial panel ruling in a case, adding on the appellate process plus arbitration sticks plaintiff countries with six or more years of economic damage. That adds up to a cool $8 billion in the COOL case. The U.S. meat industry was...
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.
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...