In an effort to stall participation in a “special session” with the U.S. over the terms of the current free trade agreement, South Korea is arguing that its trade surplus with the United States fell 38 percent during the first half of the year and so all is well. Fairness Viewed Broadly The Hindu Business Line argues that India and China have highlighted a WTO injustice with their paper noting the higher amounts of farm subsidies spent by developed countries versus the developing world. When the Uruguay Round was negotiated, the rich countries capped their existing subsidies while the developing countries agreed to limits based on the percentage value of crops, assuming they ever found the cash to start subsidies. Now they have the cash b...
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.