USTR’s Chief Ag Negotiator Nominee Moving toward Confirmation Yesterday Senator Jeff Flake (R-Arizona) announced that he had released his hold on the nomination of Greg Doud to be the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR’s) chief agricultural negotiator. Arizona has a number of packing sheds and other operations that rely on imports, and Flake had placed the hold to stop the USTR proposal for a seasonal adjustment for specialty crops within the NAFTA renegotiations. He removed it after receiving a letter from Senate Finance Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) that stated he is “committed to working with (Flake) to find a solution” to his concerns about the NAFTA renegotiations. Speaking at the National Cattlemen’...
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.