Post-Election Forecast Divided government is coming to Washington, and it has both positives and negatives. Optimists envision the farm bill being completed this month or next with Republicans and Democrats then reaching compromises on big initiatives like infrastructure investment and immigration reform. Pessimists see two embittered sides digging in to reveal the worst about the other ahead of a 2020 general election and the future of Trumpism. The Democrats will investigate and maybe impeach, while Trump pursues regulatory policy and foreign affairs with unilateral privilege.
Commodity and Trade Studies Canadian researchers Michael Devereux and Gregor Smith investigated (NBER Working Paper No. 25076) countries specializing i...
What You Need to Know Today: After a period of limited activity, USDA reported a sizeable 613 KMT in soybean export sales, including 330 KMT to China and 283 KMT to unknown destinations, potentially also China. The purchases represent a meaningful pickup in demand and bring China closer to ful...
Key Takeaways: Consumer spending is a key driver of the U.S. economy, and the latest retail sales data indicate that spending remains robust despite inflation. In September, total retail and food service sales rose more than 6 percent year-over-year, with food service spending up 7 percent and...
The Trump import plan for 300,000 MT of beef supplies used for ground beef, i.e., lean trim, from September through November has, according to Secretary Brooke Rollins, brought some relief to beef prices. The Executive Order states that the Secretary of Agriculture will analyze and review the m...
