Diplo-Speak The WTO Agriculture Committee met yesterday and discussed various members' perceived indiscretions by other countries, with questions posed and information requested. It is a process of monitoring whether members are complying with their commitments (they're not). The actual proceedings eventually get published, but a review of the notes from the March 21 meeting evidence the extremely polite way in which the discussions are documented (with editorial comments in parentheses):
Illegal Costa Rican Rice Subsidies: "Canada appreciates the updates ... What concrete steps has Costa Rica taken ... [on] the continued high subsidy rate ... The United States strongly urges [their reduction]." (Lions and tigers and bears, oh my.)...
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...
