BSE Rule Re-Opened, Change Unlikely The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reopening the comment period for the interim final rule entitled "Use of Materials Derived from Cattle in Human Food and Cosmetics." Under the interim final rule amended in 2005, the small intestine of cattle can be used in human food, dietary supplements and cosmetics if a portion of it known as the distal ileum has been properly removed. But, according to FDA, since 2005, there have been scientific studies that found trace levels of infectivity in parts of cattle small intestine other than the distal ileum from animals with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease.FDA does believe that the levels of infectivity are so low that th...
What You Need to Know Today: Cattle futures extended their sharp selloff Friday as weakening cash cattle prices, deteriorating feedlot profitability, and reduced packer demand continued to weigh on the market. The inability of futures to sustain a rally following last week's bullish Cattle on...
As predicted, the Federal Reserve held rates steady at the last meeting before the midterm elections, likely in part because of the election (see WPI 19 October and 22 September). The decision comes at the tail end of a midterm election cycle that has been marked by the two parties campaigning...
Key Takeaways: The tariff burden rose sharply in 2025 and 2026: the effective rate on imports in HTS Chapters 1–24 increased from 1.53 percent in 2024 to 6.11 percent in 2025, before averaging 5.68 percent in January–August 2026. Headline rates tell only part of the story: exemptio...
From WPI Consulting
Infrastructure investment due diligence
On behalf of a Canadian oilseed processer WPI's team provided market analysis, econometric modeling and financial due diligence in support of a $24 million-dollar investment in a Ukrainian crush plant. Consistent with WPI's findings, local production to supply the plant and the facility's output have expanded exponentially since the investment. WPI has conducted parallel work on behalf of U.S., South American and European clients, both private and public, in the agri-food space.