There was a great deal of pressure put on the 2013/14 U.S. corn crop. The severe Midwestern drought and heat wave during the summer of 2012 was devastating to corn production. As a result of the damage, USDA's final estimate of the national average corn yield for the 2012/13 year fell to 123.4 bushels/acre, which left U.S. corn production at 10.780 billion bushels. That was about 1.6 billion bushels less than was produced in 2011/12 despite 3.4 million more harvested acres. The reduced corn supplies squeezed all users and sent corn prices rocketing higher. Livestock and poultry producers were especially hard hit. U.S. corn exports during 2012/13 dropped to the historical level of 715 million bushels, less than half of the prior year's tot...
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: WPI’s new EU rapeseed crushing margin models point to weaker processing returns over the next four months due to higher rapeseed procurement costs and weaker product values. Statistical forecasts call for German crushing margins to decline from €181/MT to €...
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
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.