The U.S. – Mexico – Canada Agreement went into effect on 2 July 2020 and so it is too early to understand its impacts, but it continues to be praised by some. Today, Senate Ways & Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D- Massachusetts) told a Washington trade conference that the USMCA is a model for trade agreements going forward. Unlike previous trade agreements, the USMCA was approved by all but one Ways & Means Committee member and was supported by most House Democrats and Republicans. Chairman Neal said he is especially proud of the enforcement language and he praised the skills of former USTR Robert Lighthizer. The strengthened labor provisions in USMCA were the result of strong demands from Democrats. At this jun...
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
Forecasting developments in production agriculture
On behalf of a private U.S. agricultural technology provider, WPI’s team generated an econometric model to forecast the movement of concentrated corn production north and west from the traditional U.S. Corn Belt. WPI’s model has subsequently provided quantitative support to a multi-million-dollar investment into short-season corn variety development. WPI’s methodology included a series of interviews with regional grain elevators and seed consultants. Emphasizing outreach and communication with stakeholders who possess intimate sectoral knowledge – on-the-ground insights – is a regular component of WPI’s methodologies, made possible by WPI’s ever-growing network of industry contacts.