Paraguay Approves 10 Percent Export Tax on Soybeans, Corn and Wheat Paraguay's Chamber of Deputies yesterday approved a 10 percent export tax on soybeans, corn and wheat. The legislation allows the export tax rate to be decreased in years with low yields. Since the measure was previously approved by the upper Chamber of Senators, it will now go into effect and is expected to raise about $300 million per year.This new export tax does not apply to products produced from these commodities, so its effect will be to subsidize the production and export of the additionally processed products. This will particularly assist Paraguay's soybean processors and allow them to be more competitive exporters of soymeal and soyoil. USDA forecasts that P...
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
Forecasting developments in production agriculture
On behalf of a private U.S. agricultural technology provider, WPI’s team generated an econometric model to forecast the movement of concentrated corn production north and west from the traditional U.S. Corn Belt. WPI’s model has subsequently provided quantitative support to a multi-million-dollar investment into short-season corn variety development. WPI’s methodology included a series of interviews with regional grain elevators and seed consultants. Emphasizing outreach and communication with stakeholders who possess intimate sectoral knowledge – on-the-ground insights – is a regular component of WPI’s methodologies, made possible by WPI’s ever-growing network of industry contacts.