The Republican Convention is getting underway in Tampa, and while party platforms are largely ignored documents after the meeting is over, they make for good insights into what insiders are thinking. Those insiders usually are not thinking perfectly on all subjects. In the case of the Republican draft document, there are ample areas to pick apart: Trade Policy The most intriguing trade proposal in the Republican platform is a call for a "Reagan Economic Zone," which is to say a plurilateral agreement by what some term a "coalition of the willing." The likely result would be a global free trade agreement (FTA) that leaves out developing countries with too many defensive interests. This concept was floated in Geneva but met with oppositio...
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.