Vietnam Deal As the 9 July deadline approaches, a second trade deal was announced by President Trump. He says the U.S. will apply a 20 percent tariff on imports from Vietnam (versus 46 percent reciprocal), and 40 percent if the product was transshipped. The duty could vary based on domestic content. Meanwhile, U.S. goods will face no tariff. It is essentially a preferential access agreement. Vietnam says it will buy airplanes, energy and agricultural products from the U.S. to reduce the trade imbalance, which is the third highest after China and Mexico. U.S. requests for improved access for American agriculture is creating domestic political riffs. This includes South Korea on beef, Japan on rice, and India on dairy. President Trump charact...
What You Need to Know Today: The June jobs report showed nonfarm payrolls increased by 57k jobs, less than the 115k jobs expected by economists surveyed by Dow Jones. The labor force participation rate dropped by 0.3 percent to 61.5 percent, the lowest since March 2021, and the lowest in 50 ye...
On 4 July 2026, the United States will commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. In observance of the Fourth of July holiday, Ag Perspectives will not be published on Friday, 3 July. We will resume our normal publication schedule on Monday, 6 July...
Today was the deadline for announcing intentions regarding renewal of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA); the U.S. will not renew the USMCA, according to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. President Trump will instead pursue separate bilateral trade deals with Canada and Mexico las...
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.