The Evolving Trading System WTO Director General Roberto Azevêdo laments that people are forgetting the importance of a rule-based system of economic cooperation. Former Clinton Administration trade negotiator Harry Broadman laments that under President Trump, the U.S. has become more like China. A report in Canada (Shifting Geo-Politics and Trade Policy: Wither Canadian Agri-Food Policy?) laments that in the current shift to power-based relationships, Canada lacks the economic heft to maintain its share of the trading system. Former WTO Deputy Director Alan Wolff is more sober. He says the WTO has been slow to address economic and technological changes and this has given rise to inequality and populism. There is an effort to...
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...