U.S agricultural exports through May (the June data will be released on Thursday) show that among the 213 categories tracked for agriculture, exports are down year-to-date from last year by 8.5 percent in value, while imports are down 0.3 percent. Overall, that is a 4.4 percent drop in two-way trade. The ag trade balance is negative at $6.78 billion, or about 4 percent of the overall two-way value of trade at $159.69 billion. The ag trade balance was positive in 2022 and 2021 but was negative in 2020 and 2019 by less than half a million dollars compared to the current ag trade deficit. The overall U.S. balance of trade in goods and services, as opposed to the ag trade balance, saw the trade deficit in June fall to $65.5 billion as both imp...
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...
From WPI Consulting
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.