Government Shutdown?
Another government shutdown is looming; WPI’s contacts on Capitol Hill and around Washington are all predicting a shutdown is more likely than not. The non-partisan Committee for a Federal Responsible Budget puts the chances of a shutdown at 90 percent due to lack of time – the fisc...
Shutdown Exports; Killing the Messenger; Checking Out
Shutdown Exports The U.S. government will likely shut down this weekend because some Republicans are trying to leverage more budget discipline and other goals. The overall impact on the economy of a government shutdown is less than the clickbait media is trying to convey, but it does have odd i...
Green Tipping Point; Scale of Corruption
Green Tipping Point The media only covers the two extremes: climate deniers and climate alarmists. The climate alarmists have been winning but now it is the middle having their way. Those in the middle have been quite willing to make some sacrifices on behalf of slowing climate change. But they...
Farm Bill Delays; Small Farmers’ Big Complaint; Schöpferische Zerstörung
Farm Bill Delays The prospects for passing a farm bill this year are characterized from being very cloudy to increasingly getting worse. One academic said it is the worse political conditions for a farm bill that he has ever seen. The old farm bill coalition is in disarray and outside forces ar...
WTO Outlook; Food Safety Evolution; Subpar Eco Schemes
WTO Outlook USTR Katherine Tai last week described the WTO’s 13th Ministerial Conference scheduled for next February to be the first “reform ministerial.” However, she recognizes that U.S. ambitions such as increasing transparency, addressing non-market economies and fixing di...
Economic Growth: Is It Strong or Fragile?
Last week, the Fed’s FOMC left interest rates unchanged, as was widely expected, but the future outlook is less certain. According to Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, “The fact that we decided to maintain the policy rate at this meeting doesn’t mean that we’...
Responding to China
EU Trade Minister Valdis Dombrovskis is headed to China, reportedly with the message to sign onto some form of trade agreement giving Europe assurances of a more balanced relationship, or risk things getting worse. It doesn’t help when Beijing’s rhetoric is over-wrought. The EU has...
Africa Rising; Farm Bill Split; Bulgaria as Exporter
Africa Rising Notably, the Africa Group at the WTO has asked for policy space to develop its industrial sector. Historically, the focus has been on agriculture. This redirection conforms with the development that has occurred elsewhere, with the industrial sector rising and reducing the need to...
Glyphosate Wars; Biodiesel Boondoggle; Ethanol Future Play
Glyphosate Wars Objections to more toxic herbicides with drift issues has been more understandable than the attack on relatively benign glyphosate. But glyphosate became the poster child for the anti-chemistry green activists largely because of its low adverse impacts combined with effectivenes...
Targeting Big Ag; Milking the Cow
Targeting Big Ag Today signaled the end to a 60-day public comment period on the Biden Administration’s proposed regulatory guidance on antitrust issues. No doubt there were many negative comments, but its impact could still be huge on American agribusiness. In a simplistic “big is...
IPEF to Nowhere; Scale and Regulation
IPEF to Nowhere The Biden Administration continues to push its Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) but at least two developments raise questions as to its utility. The first is Chief Agriculture Negotiator Doug McKalip announcing that agreement on an agriculture chapter is “really clos...
Comparing Pre-Emption of California Pork and Vehicle Rules
Just over a year ago (29 August), WPI reported on the California Air Resources Board (CARB) having finalized a rule that would effectively outlaw the sale of gas-fueled cars by 2035, in favor of electric vehicles (EVs). The plan would be phased in requiring the auto fleet to be no more than 65...
Government Shutdown?
Another government shutdown is looming; WPI’s contacts on Capitol Hill and around Washington are all predicting a shutdown is more likely than not. The non-partisan Committee for a Federal Responsible Budget puts the chances of a shutdown at 90 percent due to lack of time – the fisc...
Shutdown Exports; Killing the Messenger; Checking Out
Shutdown Exports The U.S. government will likely shut down this weekend because some Republicans are trying to leverage more budget discipline and other goals. The overall impact on the economy of a government shutdown is less than the clickbait media is trying to convey, but it does have odd i...
Green Tipping Point; Scale of Corruption
Green Tipping Point The media only covers the two extremes: climate deniers and climate alarmists. The climate alarmists have been winning but now it is the middle having their way. Those in the middle have been quite willing to make some sacrifices on behalf of slowing climate change. But they...
Farm Bill Delays; Small Farmers’ Big Complaint; Schöpferische Zerstörung
Farm Bill Delays The prospects for passing a farm bill this year are characterized from being very cloudy to increasingly getting worse. One academic said it is the worse political conditions for a farm bill that he has ever seen. The old farm bill coalition is in disarray and outside forces ar...
WTO Outlook; Food Safety Evolution; Subpar Eco Schemes
WTO Outlook USTR Katherine Tai last week described the WTO’s 13th Ministerial Conference scheduled for next February to be the first “reform ministerial.” However, she recognizes that U.S. ambitions such as increasing transparency, addressing non-market economies and fixing di...
Economic Growth: Is It Strong or Fragile?
Last week, the Fed’s FOMC left interest rates unchanged, as was widely expected, but the future outlook is less certain. According to Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, “The fact that we decided to maintain the policy rate at this meeting doesn’t mean that we’...
Responding to China
EU Trade Minister Valdis Dombrovskis is headed to China, reportedly with the message to sign onto some form of trade agreement giving Europe assurances of a more balanced relationship, or risk things getting worse. It doesn’t help when Beijing’s rhetoric is over-wrought. The EU has...
Africa Rising; Farm Bill Split; Bulgaria as Exporter
Africa Rising Notably, the Africa Group at the WTO has asked for policy space to develop its industrial sector. Historically, the focus has been on agriculture. This redirection conforms with the development that has occurred elsewhere, with the industrial sector rising and reducing the need to...
Glyphosate Wars; Biodiesel Boondoggle; Ethanol Future Play
Glyphosate Wars Objections to more toxic herbicides with drift issues has been more understandable than the attack on relatively benign glyphosate. But glyphosate became the poster child for the anti-chemistry green activists largely because of its low adverse impacts combined with effectivenes...
Targeting Big Ag; Milking the Cow
Targeting Big Ag Today signaled the end to a 60-day public comment period on the Biden Administration’s proposed regulatory guidance on antitrust issues. No doubt there were many negative comments, but its impact could still be huge on American agribusiness. In a simplistic “big is...
IPEF to Nowhere; Scale and Regulation
IPEF to Nowhere The Biden Administration continues to push its Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) but at least two developments raise questions as to its utility. The first is Chief Agriculture Negotiator Doug McKalip announcing that agreement on an agriculture chapter is “really clos...
Comparing Pre-Emption of California Pork and Vehicle Rules
Just over a year ago (29 August), WPI reported on the California Air Resources Board (CARB) having finalized a rule that would effectively outlaw the sale of gas-fueled cars by 2035, in favor of electric vehicles (EVs). The plan would be phased in requiring the auto fleet to be no more than 65...