The U.S. Senate passed its tax reform proposal at about 2 a.m. (EST) on Saturday. Informal conference committee talks began as quickly as later that same day. The official conference process got underway today with both the House and Senate appointing their negotiators. When finished, the tax reform legislation will obviously have a major impact on the economy and budgetary issues. WPI has covered some of its key provisions and even the procedural budgetary effects, but there will also likely be major political repercussions. The tax bill passed the Senate by a vote of 51-49. Only one of the Senate’s 52-member Republican majority, retiring Tennessee Senator Bob Corker, did not support it. Two weeks earlier, the House passed its...
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.
What You Need to Know Today: A third U.S. border crossing (Columbus, New Mexico) has reopened to Mexican cattle imports following nearly two years of restrictions related to New World screwworm. The reopening could gradually improve feeder cattle availability, although more than 60 confi...
Yesterday, the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) released a new report of negotiated cash purchases of cattle under the mandatory price report. The report included Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas. The goal of the report was to solve the confidentiality issues e...
Key Takeaways: U.S. soybean crushing began in 1911 and saw its most rapid expansion during the 1930s amid the broader agricultural and technology revolutions of the time. After peaking in the early 2000s, the soybean crushing industry went through a downturn as poor crush margins forced...