Sugar is a high profile commodity this month. When the April WASDE comes out next week, it will have to factor in some developments in Mexico. The March WASDE showed sugar production in Mexico at 5,890 MMT, with exports to the U.S. at 1,360 MMT (out of 1,370 MMT total exports). But since then, the Mexican Comite Nacional para el Desarrollo Sustentable de la Cana de Azucar (Conadesuca) has upped its estimate of production to 6,247 MMT, which was an increase of 578,682 MT over its initial forecast. The sugar harvest in Mexico is running about 23 percent above the five-year average. Under the integrated market between the U.S. and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), this is a very significant shift that next week's WASDE will ha...
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...
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.