World Perspectives

Trade versus Self-Sufficiency

David Ricardo’s concept of comparative advantage has not been disproven; it has just been ignored for the past 200 years. While there has been progress toward untethered competition in the post-war period, American labor unions became most vocal against trade agreements during the Obama Administration. The opposition expanded even as real median incomes grew, with the rise of China cited as the watershed that broke the free trade movement. But where is the future?  The increased opposition to imports has seen a concurrent rise in the self-sufficiency mantra. Just to name a couple of examples, Mexico has now allocated $1 billion toward promoting products produced with native corn, and China is focused on raising domestic yields an...

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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.

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