WTO on Exchange Rates Director General Pascal Lamy opened the WTO Seminar on Exchange Rates and Trade by warning that the subject is complex, emotional and likely hurts smaller firms more than large multinationals. Actually, a study just released by the OECD (Trade Policy Paper No. 136) concludes that exchange rate fluctuations impact the trade flows of small, open economies more than larger economies. Mr. Lamy also emphasizes that the burden is on the IMF and other institutions. He said, "We need an international monetary system which facilitates international trade." Actually, we need a system that is neutral on trade; the problem has been mercantilist efforts to game exchange rates for narrow nationalist purposes. Study on Brazilian...
Key Takeaways: President Trump announced $8 billion in additional agricultural assistance through the Harvest Fuel Relief Program, as USDA projects farm fuel and oil expenses will increase 28.8 percent in 2026. The package follows $12 billion in earlier relief, while government farm payments w...
Key Takeaways: A student group from the University of Chicago is protesting to bring back onion futures trading. Trading in onion futures was banned in 1958 following a spectacular bout of market manipulation that resulted in a corner of the physical market. The ban on onion futures led t...
Beef packer margins deteriorated to $141/head last week, down $55 from the prior week as fed cattle prices strengthened while the Choice cutout remained nearly unchanged. The cutout held near $373/cwt while fed cattle prices climbed $4/cwt to $224/cwt, narrowing processor profits. Despite the d...
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.