U.S. Trade Strategy in Africa U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced a new Sub Saharan Africa strategy that focused on governance, security, rebounding from COVID and climate change, but not trade. An FTA with Kenya has been stalled, and South Africa is asking for elimination of Section 232 tariffs on its steel and aluminum. Meanwhile, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, which also ignores enticements such as increased trade, is failing to attract more countries. The Administration’s “soft” policy approach is occurring at the same time countries may be growing cool to it. The Nikkei reports that Japan has lost interest in the themes of Environment, Social and Governance (ESG), and Sustainable Development Goals...
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.