Trump’s Curious Trade Policy Developments in U.S. trade policy are not consistent with the professed message of the Trump administration. For example: Arbitrary Deadlines: Washington Trade Daily is reporting that the Trump administration is pushing its NAFTA partners to be able to announce the near conclusion of renegotiations at a summit meeting in Peru next week. It is unclear why there is now an imminent deadline, and such arbitrary dates risk an outcome as weak as the KORUS renegotiation. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross earlier said he expected the NAFTA talks to have until May or June before political events intruded. Bearing Snubs: President Trump tweets viciously against those who offend him, and yet there is no resentment ex...
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
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.