General Comments The lack of market information from USDA and the trading position of large speculators are creating an unrepeatable buying opportunity for global end-users of corn. The current U.S. government shutdown and lack of USDA data means that global buyers can make large purchases without disturbing the water. Never has such an opportunity existed since the Soviets slipped into the U.S. market in the early 1970s. Unlike that decade, the condition is no longer one where foreign buyers slip into the market and domestic end-users are taken by surprise. Instead, this time around domestic end-users are also extending their coverage. This substantial pool of joint buying is being conveniently offset by sizable fund selling that was...
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
Accountability and a comprehensive approach to export programming
WPI’s team helped construct a strategic approach to develop, implement, and track promotional activities in 8 key regions across the globe for an agricultural export association. With continued progress measurement and strategic advisory services from WPI, the association has seen its ROI from investments in promotional programming increase by 44 percent over the past 5 years. Not only does this type of holistic approach to organizational strategy provide measurable results to track and analyze, it fosters top-down and bottom-up organizational accountability.