U.S. economy

U.S. agriculture is currently running a trade deficit of almost $19 billion and growing.  And while some say this reflects a weak noncompetitive American farm sector, one expert says that doesn’t tell the whole story.   “To look at the trade balance and say it's negative, so we're being outcompeted. It's, it's really oversim...

It’s been a downward week for oil prices, with prices dropping roughly $10 per barrel in the past seven days.  West Texas Crude was trading in the mid-$60 range in Monday’s action.  Patrick DeHaan with GasBuddy said last week, oil investors were concerned about the health of the U.S. economy.  He noted that conc...

Oil prices continue to soften, not on news from China, not because of the on-going war in Ukraine, but concerns over the U.S. economy.  Patrick DeHaan with GasBuddy said investors are concerned about everything from Wall Street to Main Street.   “...

It’s a trend many consumers, and many motorists have enjoyed as of recent; oil prices moving lower.  In fact, for the past nine weeks, the price for a barrel of West Texas Crude has dropped to $88 in Monday's trade, an over 4% drop from Sunday's numbers.   W...

The benefits of American Ag exports to the U.S. economy far exceed the value of shipments alone. The production, processing, storage, transportation, and marketing of farm and food products headed for the export market support a large number of jobs throughout the U ...

A quarterly report from CoBank suggests that while the U.S. economy is still very much in the grips of the pandemic, supply chains are arguably in the most dire condition since the start of the pandemic, as lead times for manufacturing inputs recently reached record highs ...

The U.S. economy continues to outperform expectations as stimulus funds are fueling robust consumer spending. Forecasts point to 7% GDP growth for 2021, the fastest rate of expansion since 1984, according to CoBank. But for the economy and rural industries, CoBank said there will be no going back to pre-COVID conditions ...

CoBank said the U.S. economy has shown signs of improving since late spring. However, progress has slowed, and the economy remains fragile. With another relief package is off and then on the table, for now, CoBank says the economy will remain sluggish through the end of the year ...