Regulatory Overlap: Some members of the U.S. Senate are proposing legislation to clear up a regulatory overlap that the courts created when they ruled that pesticide spraying is subject to rules under two different statutes. Already there has been confusion on food labeling issues between the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission. Now the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is being asked how it can fine a hedge fund trader when his futures market participation is regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. In short, government overreach and regulatory overlap are creating inefficiencies and thus losses to the economy.Phantom Fuels: Also being pushed in the U.S. Senate is new legislation that would requ...
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.