China’s offer to return to normal levels of agricultural commodity buying from the U.S. is underwhelming. China’s waiver of higher tariffs on 10 MMT of soybeans doesn’t mean they will be purchased from the U.S. and there is a vague commitment to eventually purchase $50 billion worth every year, depending on market conditions, when a final trade agreement is reached. But, there are rumors of no commitments at all until and unless the punitive tariffs are removed by Washington. As noted previously, most such buying agreements offer up specific numbers but then have “get out of jail for free” language that the buyer can exercise. As former President Ronald Reagan said of nuclear missile agreements with the Soviet...
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.