Protectionism and Causes The WTO reports that protectionism has not increased as expected. The number of antidumping investigations by the U.S. fell during the period of July 2016-June 2017 from a year earlier, although the number of imposed antidumping duties grew. Safeguard cases tend to rise with the volume of trade, but they may also be triggered by more imports threatening incumbent domestic firms. Since the U.S. has the largest trade deficit, a larger number of safeguard cases can be anticipated. However, the number of antidumping cases imposed relative to the trade deficit is much greater in South Asia (see graph below). Meanwhile, the U.S. National Association of Business Economists sees trade protectionism as the top risk to the U...
What You Need to Know Today: Russia rejected calls for a ceasefire in the Black Sea, including a proposal to halt attacks on civilian shipping that could help restore grain flows from Ukrainian ports. Tyson Foods announced plans to permanently close its Joslin, Illinois, beef processing facili...
The big news in the cattle markets yesterday was Tyson Foods’ move to close two more beef plants. One of them, the Joslin, Illinois, plant was shuttered immediately after the announcement. The other, in Eagle Mountain, Utah, is a case-ready plant that does not slaughter cattle. Tyson also...
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) on Wednesday. In July, the CPI rose 0.1 percent, seasonally adjusted, and rose 3.4 percent over the last 12 months, not seasonally adjusted. The index for all items less food and energy, or the “core” infla...
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.