News coverage of the nation's fiscal cliff dilemma has become something akin to a game show. Just as an audience roots for contestants, the press is now cheering on the chief negotiators, President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner, as they decide whether or not to take a deal.Earlier today The New York Times reported that the White House delivered a proposal and "what may be close to a final deal" to Speaker Boehner. Boehner later proposed a backup "Plan B" in case he and the president fail to reach an agreement on a deal. In response, the White House issued a statement rebuffing the idea, saying "the president has put a balanced, reasonable proposal on the table" that compromises with Republicans on revenue and spending. Boehner's Pl...
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...
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.