Eastern European members complaining that food companies sell inferior products in their part of the EU should be informed by the American experience. Dissecting Japan MIT professor and Japan specialist Richard Samuels argues that the island nation was forced by globalization to evolve from a 1980s strategy of autonomy, consortia (collusion) and (government) nurturance to the present day better, faster, cheaper. However, this cannot be said of its food sector. As noted in the WTO’s latest trade policy review, Japan’s agriculture has “relatively high levels of protection and support.” The U.S. noted numerous market access barriers and imports controlled by state trading enterprises (simultaneous buy and sell).The Abe government has initiat...
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.