Euractiv reports that 30 percent of the agricultural exporters in Albania have gone bankrupt. The cause? The rapid appreciation of the national currency, the lev versus the euro zone where much of the production is sold. U.S. agricultural exporters understand the pain. The U.S. dollar appreciated 23 percent between 2021 and 2022. Although this year it has zigzagged across both sides of unchanged, it remains well above lows hit back in 2020. Exchange rates are far more impactful to bulk commodity products than it is to value added goods. Now things could get worse. Analysts say the dollar has strengthened an average of 1.2 percent during September in each of the past six years. The reasoning involves quarter-end buying, but also a view that...
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.