TTIP Hype European proponents of the TransAtlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) are sounding like salesmen with their hype that TTIP is the single most important trade negotiation that the EU has ever initiated and it will ensure continued western influence on the world. There is evidence that the congressional push for more effort on sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPS) as part of the TTIP and TransPacific Partnership negotiations has pushed the U.S. Food & Drug Administration into more action. However, no one believes either agreement will stop countries from using rules that are stricter than international standards, while concurrently understanding that the prospective financial gains specifically arise from reg...
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.