Aggressive New EU Leadership Under John Claude Juncker, the EU seemed confused on how to deal with Donald Trump, never having previously experienced such antagonism from an American leader. There was even a nonsensical trade agreement letter that was supposed to reduce the transatlantic tensions. Not anymore. The verbiage from the incoming government of Ursula von der Leyen is combative, adopting the pugilistic style of Trump himself. While incoming trade commissioner (and outgoing agriculture minister) Phil Hogan says the EU will show Trump the “error” of his “protectionist policies,” the illustration appears to be the adoption of a Europe first, Make Europe Great Again theme. Here are some of the rhetorical shape...
Weighing in on strategic realignment
WPI’s team was retained by the governing board of a U.S. industry organization to review a decision, reached by vote, to invest significant assets into the development and management of an export trading company. WPI’s team conducted a formal review of this decision and concluded that the current level of market saturation would limit the benefits of the investment. Based on WPI’s analysis and recommended actions, the board subsequently reversed its decision and undertook a strategic planning effort to identify more impactful investments. On behalf of numerous clients, WPI has not only assisted in identifying strategic paths but also advised their implementation.
Key Market Insights The broad market is locked in on this week’s Trump-Xi meeting in Beijing, but this is no longer just a trade summit. Increasingly, the meeting is becoming tied directly to Iran, energy security, and the growing global economic fallout from disruptions through the Strai...