A Dubious Diesel Deal
Key Takeaways: On Friday afternoon, President Trump announced that Russia will “immediately supply over 300,000 Tons of Diesel Fuel” to the United States. The deal, typical of this administration, is light on details but promises an additional 500,000 tons in November and 1 m...
AP Quant: WASDE Corn
WPI offers the following PDF of key supply and demand tables and charts relating to the USDA’s latest WASDE report. This is not an all-inclusive compilation of relevant market factors, only those which we feel are of top priority. WPI will seek to expand the offerings in this report and w...
AP Quant: WASDE Soybeans
WPI offers the following PDF of key supply and demand tables and charts relating to the USDA’s latest WASDE report. This is not an all-inclusive compilation of relevant market factors, only those which we feel are of top priority. WPI will seek to expand the offerings in this report and w...
AP Quant: WASDE Vegoils
WPI offers the following PDF of key supply and demand tables and charts relating to the USDA’s latest WASDE report. This is not an all-inclusive compilation of relevant market factors, only those which we feel are of top priority. WPI will seek to expand the offerings in this report and w...
AP Quant: WASDE Wheat
WPI offers the following PDF of key supply and demand tables and charts relating to the USDA’s latest WASDE report. This is not an all-inclusive compilation of relevant market factors, only those which we feel are of top priority. WPI will seek to expand the offerings in this report and w...
Transportation Perspectives - 8 October
Key Takeaways: Dry bulk markets are mixed this week with the Capesize sector falling on the demand slump stemming from China’s Golden Week holiday while Panamax and smaller vessel class rates remain firm. The Atlantic’s first hurricane of the season, Hurricane Isaias, intensi...
Global Vegetable Oil Markets Face Mixed Signals
Key Takeaways: Global vegetable oil production continues to expand, but the major oils are being driven by very different supply, demand, and trade dynamics. Palm oil faces heavy near-term supply pressure from rising Malaysian inventories, while Indonesia’s B50 mandate and El Niño...
FOB Prices and Freight Rates App (Updated 7 October)
WPI Grain Prices and Freight Rate App Note: you can also visit the app directly by clicking here. Supplemental Information The section below offers a concise view of the options available in the current version of the WPI FOB Price and Freight Rate app, along with a short “How To”...
Executive Order and G7 Actions on Diesel Fuel
In a letter last week to President Trump, Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), wrote that diesel prices are squeezing farmers’ margins. As Duvall wrote: Higher diesel expenses are hitting farmers at one of the most fuel-intensive times of the year —...
Harvest Pressure: Why Grain Prices Often Weaken at Harvest
Key Takeaways: Harvest pressure is fundamentally a timing issue: supply arrives much faster than demand can adjust, creating temporary weakness that can occur across crops and regions. The intensity of that pressure depends less on crop size alone than on how quickly grain moves into the syste...
Transportation Perspectives - 1 October
Key Takeaways: Dry bulk markets are mixed this week with the Capesize sector seeing a sharp correction from its recent rally. Smaller vessel classes are steady/firmer but the Chinese Golden Week Holiday is pressuring near-term rates. Dry bulk freight did not receive the bullish boost it...
Do Russia’s Northern Grain Exports Matter?
Key Takeaways: Russia recently said it would convert existing export terminals in the Baltic and Arctic Seas to handle grain as the Black and Azov Seas remain closed to maritime trade. Futures markets reacted negatively to this news, but does the conversion matter to short-term and long-...
How Comparative Advantage Shapes Global Trade
Key Takeaways: Comparative advantage encourages countries to specialize in goods they can produce at a lower opportunity cost and rely on trade for others. Differences in climate, land, infrastructure, and technology help determine where agricultural commodities can be produced most efficientl...
Bad Ideas Redux
It’s often said that history doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes. If only humanity could stop repeating the worst parts of our historic verse. Politicians, again at the center of this week’s follies, have found a way to make old mistakes sound new: announce them at a pr...
Transportation Perspectives - 24 September
Key Takeaways: Dry bulk markets are steady/firmer this week with Handysize vessels making the biggest gains. In particular, strong grain demand has improved Handysize rates, along with charterers dipping down into the smaller vessel classes after the recent Panamax and Supra/Ultramax ral...
WASDE Soybeans - September 2026
USDA’s September WASDE outlook for 2026/27 U.S. soybeans is for reduced ending stocks by 10 million bushels to 310 million. The U.S. season-average soybean price is forecast at $12.00 per bushel, up $0.60 from last month: Soybean meal price is increased $30 to $340 per short ton, and the...
WASDE Corn - September 2026
USDA’s September WASDE outlook for 2026/27 U.S. corn is for reduced ending stocks by 86 million bushels to 1.567 billion. The season-average U.S. farm price is increased $0.30 per bushel to $4.80. Foreign corn ending stocks are reduced, mostly reflecting a reduction for India, that was pa...
WASDE Wheat - September 2026
USDA’s September WASDE outlook for 2026/27 is unchanged for total U.S. wheat, but there were a few adjustments in wheat types. The season-average U.S. farm price is increased $0.20 per bushel to $6.40. This month’s global wheat outlook is for ending stocks to increase 3.0 million me...
AP Quant: WASDE Vegoils
WPI offers the following PDF of key supply and demand tables and charts relating to the USDA’s latest WASDE report. This is not an all-inclusive compilation of relevant market factors, only those which we feel are of top priority. WPI will seek to expand the offerings in this report and w...
AP Quant: WASDE Wheat
WPI offers the following PDF of key supply and demand tables and charts relating to the USDA’s latest WASDE report. This is not an all-inclusive compilation of relevant market factors, only those which we feel are of top priority. WPI will seek to expand the offerings in this report and w...
AP Quant: WASDE Soybeans
WPI offers the following PDF of key supply and demand tables and charts relating to the USDA’s latest WASDE report. This is not an all-inclusive compilation of relevant market factors, only those which we feel are of top priority. WPI will seek to expand the offerings in this report and w...
AP Quant: WASDE Corn
WPI offers the following PDF of key supply and demand tables and charts relating to the USDA’s latest WASDE report. This is not an all-inclusive compilation of relevant market factors, only those which we feel are of top priority. WPI will seek to expand the offerings in this report and w...
Transportation Perspectives - 10 September
Key Takeaways: Dry bulk markets saw diverging trends this week as Capesize vessel rates surged on strong demand while Panamax and smaller vessel classes saw mostly steady/firmer trade. The situation in the Persian Gulf continues to deteriorate with hopes for an Iran-Oman managed system o...
Transportation Perspectives - 3 September
Key Takeaways: Dry bulk markets are mixed this week with larger vessel classes seeing strong demand from iron ore and coal while Supramax and Handysize rates remain steady. Congestion at the Panama Canal has eased but forward booking slots are showing signs of bottlenecks as draft levels...
A Dubious Diesel Deal
Key Takeaways: On Friday afternoon, President Trump announced that Russia will “immediately supply over 300,000 Tons of Diesel Fuel” to the United States. The deal, typical of this administration, is light on details but promises an additional 500,000 tons in November and 1 m...
AP Quant: WASDE Corn
WPI offers the following PDF of key supply and demand tables and charts relating to the USDA’s latest WASDE report. This is not an all-inclusive compilation of relevant market factors, only those which we feel are of top priority. WPI will seek to expand the offerings in this report and w...
AP Quant: WASDE Soybeans
WPI offers the following PDF of key supply and demand tables and charts relating to the USDA’s latest WASDE report. This is not an all-inclusive compilation of relevant market factors, only those which we feel are of top priority. WPI will seek to expand the offerings in this report and w...
AP Quant: WASDE Vegoils
WPI offers the following PDF of key supply and demand tables and charts relating to the USDA’s latest WASDE report. This is not an all-inclusive compilation of relevant market factors, only those which we feel are of top priority. WPI will seek to expand the offerings in this report and w...
AP Quant: WASDE Wheat
WPI offers the following PDF of key supply and demand tables and charts relating to the USDA’s latest WASDE report. This is not an all-inclusive compilation of relevant market factors, only those which we feel are of top priority. WPI will seek to expand the offerings in this report and w...
Transportation Perspectives - 8 October
Key Takeaways: Dry bulk markets are mixed this week with the Capesize sector falling on the demand slump stemming from China’s Golden Week holiday while Panamax and smaller vessel class rates remain firm. The Atlantic’s first hurricane of the season, Hurricane Isaias, intensi...
Global Vegetable Oil Markets Face Mixed Signals
Key Takeaways: Global vegetable oil production continues to expand, but the major oils are being driven by very different supply, demand, and trade dynamics. Palm oil faces heavy near-term supply pressure from rising Malaysian inventories, while Indonesia’s B50 mandate and El Niño...
FOB Prices and Freight Rates App (Updated 7 October)
WPI Grain Prices and Freight Rate App Note: you can also visit the app directly by clicking here. Supplemental Information The section below offers a concise view of the options available in the current version of the WPI FOB Price and Freight Rate app, along with a short “How To”...
Executive Order and G7 Actions on Diesel Fuel
In a letter last week to President Trump, Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), wrote that diesel prices are squeezing farmers’ margins. As Duvall wrote: Higher diesel expenses are hitting farmers at one of the most fuel-intensive times of the year —...
Harvest Pressure: Why Grain Prices Often Weaken at Harvest
Key Takeaways: Harvest pressure is fundamentally a timing issue: supply arrives much faster than demand can adjust, creating temporary weakness that can occur across crops and regions. The intensity of that pressure depends less on crop size alone than on how quickly grain moves into the syste...
Transportation Perspectives - 1 October
Key Takeaways: Dry bulk markets are mixed this week with the Capesize sector seeing a sharp correction from its recent rally. Smaller vessel classes are steady/firmer but the Chinese Golden Week Holiday is pressuring near-term rates. Dry bulk freight did not receive the bullish boost it...
Do Russia’s Northern Grain Exports Matter?
Key Takeaways: Russia recently said it would convert existing export terminals in the Baltic and Arctic Seas to handle grain as the Black and Azov Seas remain closed to maritime trade. Futures markets reacted negatively to this news, but does the conversion matter to short-term and long-...
How Comparative Advantage Shapes Global Trade
Key Takeaways: Comparative advantage encourages countries to specialize in goods they can produce at a lower opportunity cost and rely on trade for others. Differences in climate, land, infrastructure, and technology help determine where agricultural commodities can be produced most efficientl...
Bad Ideas Redux
It’s often said that history doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes. If only humanity could stop repeating the worst parts of our historic verse. Politicians, again at the center of this week’s follies, have found a way to make old mistakes sound new: announce them at a pr...
Transportation Perspectives - 24 September
Key Takeaways: Dry bulk markets are steady/firmer this week with Handysize vessels making the biggest gains. In particular, strong grain demand has improved Handysize rates, along with charterers dipping down into the smaller vessel classes after the recent Panamax and Supra/Ultramax ral...
WASDE Soybeans - September 2026
USDA’s September WASDE outlook for 2026/27 U.S. soybeans is for reduced ending stocks by 10 million bushels to 310 million. The U.S. season-average soybean price is forecast at $12.00 per bushel, up $0.60 from last month: Soybean meal price is increased $30 to $340 per short ton, and the...
WASDE Corn - September 2026
USDA’s September WASDE outlook for 2026/27 U.S. corn is for reduced ending stocks by 86 million bushels to 1.567 billion. The season-average U.S. farm price is increased $0.30 per bushel to $4.80. Foreign corn ending stocks are reduced, mostly reflecting a reduction for India, that was pa...
WASDE Wheat - September 2026
USDA’s September WASDE outlook for 2026/27 is unchanged for total U.S. wheat, but there were a few adjustments in wheat types. The season-average U.S. farm price is increased $0.20 per bushel to $6.40. This month’s global wheat outlook is for ending stocks to increase 3.0 million me...
AP Quant: WASDE Vegoils
WPI offers the following PDF of key supply and demand tables and charts relating to the USDA’s latest WASDE report. This is not an all-inclusive compilation of relevant market factors, only those which we feel are of top priority. WPI will seek to expand the offerings in this report and w...
AP Quant: WASDE Wheat
WPI offers the following PDF of key supply and demand tables and charts relating to the USDA’s latest WASDE report. This is not an all-inclusive compilation of relevant market factors, only those which we feel are of top priority. WPI will seek to expand the offerings in this report and w...
AP Quant: WASDE Soybeans
WPI offers the following PDF of key supply and demand tables and charts relating to the USDA’s latest WASDE report. This is not an all-inclusive compilation of relevant market factors, only those which we feel are of top priority. WPI will seek to expand the offerings in this report and w...
AP Quant: WASDE Corn
WPI offers the following PDF of key supply and demand tables and charts relating to the USDA’s latest WASDE report. This is not an all-inclusive compilation of relevant market factors, only those which we feel are of top priority. WPI will seek to expand the offerings in this report and w...
Transportation Perspectives - 10 September
Key Takeaways: Dry bulk markets saw diverging trends this week as Capesize vessel rates surged on strong demand while Panamax and smaller vessel classes saw mostly steady/firmer trade. The situation in the Persian Gulf continues to deteriorate with hopes for an Iran-Oman managed system o...
Transportation Perspectives - 3 September
Key Takeaways: Dry bulk markets are mixed this week with larger vessel classes seeing strong demand from iron ore and coal while Supramax and Handysize rates remain steady. Congestion at the Panama Canal has eased but forward booking slots are showing signs of bottlenecks as draft levels...