Much of the increase in food costs has been raw commodity price inflation that has generally started to reverse this year.Now is the time of the year when Christmas sales dominate economic news, and the recent National Retail Federation report will add some fuel to the fire that the economy is not growing. The Christmas season can account for up to 40 percent of all annual retail sales. Those sales from Thanksgiving Day (28 November) to the following Sunday (1 December) are down three percent from last year. Digging a bit deeper, however, finds that there are some significant offsetting data.First, the Christmas shopping season is shortened this year by almost a week and spans 26 days compared with 32 days last year. Second, Hanukkah starte...
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...
Markets are getting into the Halloween spirit, handing out more tricks than treats. There has been some encouraging news, but it hasn’t been enough to slow the broader slide. Now buyers need to show up with something other than another “Charlie Brown” rock for the bag. Somethi...
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.