In terms of the 2013 U.S. grain and soy harvests and what they may mean for supply and demand balances, most of the analytical attention seems to be focused on corn. We suppose this is understandable. The drought-damaged 2012 corn crop sharply reduced available corn supplies, ratcheted up both cash prices and corn futures prices to record levels, caused demand rationing as well as regional shortages and generally squeezed margins for nearly all corn users.This was followed by the "Perils of Pauline" story of the 2013 corn crop and, ultimately, the fascination of record large corn production nearing an unheard of 14 billion bushels. It is a story in itself to go from 2012/13 ending corn stocks that were built up to a minimal pipeline...
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
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.