State's Rise and Threat? The U.S. State Department hosted its first ever Global Business Conference this week. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declared that she has made "Jobs Diplomacy" her top priority at State and that the Department will use its network of embassies around the world to promote U.S. exports and enforce trading rules. In short, economic strength and foreign policy are linked.Not so fast, say some old trade hands. At an American Enterprise Institute sponsored event today on the Obama Administration's proposed merger of some trade and economic agencies, Harvard Kennedy School of Government's Craig Van Grasstek noted how American priorities on trade through the years have evolved between commercial, fiscal (tariffs) an...
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.