Trade Negotiation Indicators: A 'round the globe update ...
Regional/FTAs: Trade negotiations are alive and well. The newly announced Asia-Pacific centered Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) combined with ASEAN trade negotiation effort combined with the Japan/China/South Korea free trade agreement (FTA) effort, the Trans-Atlantic FTA, and a potential U.S. effort in Latin America shows trade liberalization is at least economically positive in theory. Japan: However, there are predictions that Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's ambition of joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations will cause the loss of his DPJ party to the rural-centric LDP in the December 16 election. Much like the blue/red state divisions in...
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...
