Former WTO spokesperson Keith Rockwell criticizes the Biden Administration for pursuing partnerships that lack the key word “trade.” President Biden insisted he wanted to rebuild the U.S. domestic economy before reengaging in trade talks, though he has pursued agreements with the Americas and the Indo-Pacific that include technical aspects about trade, just not tariffs. The latest “partnership” is a “high ambition trade initiative” – not an agreement - with Taiwan, that even will include an agriculture section, though its content is unclear. Taiwan is a relatively small economy, but the goal is to stoke the animosity of Beijing without requiring Congressional approval for an actual binding tr...
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...
The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) enters its mandated six-year review on 1 July. The original intent of the review is outlined in Article 34.7, which obligates members to: Provide recommendations and decide on appropriate actions. Extend the USMCA for another 16 years and meet aga...
From WPI Consulting
Forecasting developments in production agriculture
On behalf of a private U.S. agricultural technology provider, WPI’s team generated an econometric model to forecast the movement of concentrated corn production north and west from the traditional U.S. Corn Belt. WPI’s model has subsequently provided quantitative support to a multi-million-dollar investment into short-season corn variety development. WPI’s methodology included a series of interviews with regional grain elevators and seed consultants. Emphasizing outreach and communication with stakeholders who possess intimate sectoral knowledge – on-the-ground insights – is a regular component of WPI’s methodologies, made possible by WPI’s ever-growing network of industry contacts.