Next Punch at China The market is correctly reacting to the assumption that President Trump will impose tariffs on $200 billion worth of imports from China. The administration has been signaling that the trade war with that country will not reach a conclusion anytime soon. The U.S. is demanding some large, fundamental changes by Beijing. The president has repeatedly said that China’s large trade surplus means that the U.S. has more with which to punish Beijing than the reverse. The Section 301 tariffs against China are the next shoe to drop. There will be many complaints, but because most people acknowledge that China plays a rigged game, they will be muted. Malmström’s Weak Beer EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Mal...
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.