Did the increasing globalization of world economies and politics lead to expanding world trade, or did expanding world trade lead to increasing globalization? Answering these questions would undoubtedly involve numerous learned academic studies and already has, but our answer is a simple one: yes, both are true. The first effort to formalize international trade practices entailed the negotiations that led to the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT) in 1947, which was intended to restore order and growth to countries ravaged by World War II through promotion of trade by reducing/eliminating tariffs and other trade barriers. Under the auspices of GATT and its successor, the WTO, seven other rounds of negotiations for further trade l...
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.