Where to from here? 12/20

From Europe’s Debt Crisis to the US Congress’ inability find compromise on the Payroll Tax Extension, the volatile Currency markets continue to make pricing a dilemma for those of us in import trades.

Nothing in the short term looks to favor less volatility though we expect the bad news out of Europe to over shadow the bad news out of the USA in this coming election year. Range is going to be pushing even lower for the Euro over the next quarter.

Our view on products:
Artichokes: Short if not Booked. Market prices stable while import prices down slightly.

Mandarins Satsuma: The very high opening prices are meeting resistance from importers. Let’s see where they settle but quantities better be committed and secured in the long run as the production season is shorter due to Chinese New Year coming early this year and the changing economic times continue a course resulting in shortages for the year.

Spanish Mandarins are not a full option again yet but headed that way. Clementines may show up in the US markets later this season.  

Olives: One of the few markets that on the surface appears to have a good enough raw material supply. However, while the prices are low, credit in Spain is difficult to obtain resulting in unpicked fruits still hanging on the trees. This may be good for OILS but not so good for the curing or ripening process of Green Table Olives or Black Ripe Olives.  A shortage may be looming.

Rumors persist of the lack of continued financing hurting coops when time comes to pay for the crops to members as well as to solvency issues with private industry producers.

Happy End of Year Holidays to all! Watch out in 2012!

Mandarin Oranges

Mandarin Oranges have no carry over in China from last year and importers are running out. Production this new season will be shortened (Chinese New Year impact). All expenses are up for packers.

What this means is:
1) wide quality variations in finished goods.
2) inconsistencies under certain labels.
3) prices will continue to CLIMB HIGHER...

Please, if not already done, BOOK NOW with us or we risk not having product on hand this coming year for your needs.

Disasters in our Business come in Many Forms

Report out of New Zealand bring the risks of our trade to the forefront.

We who import know the term GENERAL AVERAGES, that age old sharing of risk that costs plenty when applied. Here it is not clear if that will be the case.

The world remains a risky place.

Forecasts and Reality Bloomberg article show much the same. Ok, ok...

US Dollar Direction??

The Street David Song's DailyFX has a nice article saying among other things this morning

"we may see the rebound from 1.3145 gather pace as market sentiment improves. As a result, the EUR/USD may work its way back towards the 61.8% Fib around 1.3880-1.3900, but the single-currency is likely to face additional headwinds over the near-term as the fundamental outlook for the euro-area deteriorates."

here's a look back...

We'll see in the coming days what's forward...(Flipped is 2003 .99 cents to 2007's 1.468)

There appears to be a continued race between the US and the EU's economies to see which disaster will trump the next. And it looks like we lack the imagination and political will on both continents to work towards real solutions.

From the #OccupyWallStreet to the #TeaParty here in the USA to the demonstrations of the "Acampadas" in Spain and elsewhere the level of frustration grows.

The perception is good governance is not possible.

The feeling grows that disaster is just around the corner.

So what's new?

US $ Surging Bull Matching early Summer Forecasts

Earlier this summer the forecast from DailyFX was Sept 2011 at 1.318. They revised further to 1.4011...

Today the US $ is the Bull in the market. You can hear today's report HERE the title showing all the tendancies of the day : US Dollar Explodes on Fresh Injection of Fear 


The FED's actions yesterday have us entering a new level along with the continued uncertainty in the rest of the eco-zones. Listen as long as you need to get today's flavor.

We are going to continue to be long with EUROS to be able to pass on price savings as soon as they are realized. Stay tuned!

Expanding Health Safety?

USDA announces expanded testing for SALMONELLA explained in this NYTimes article.

ILWU Protest Closes Ports of Seattle, Tacoma

ILWU Protest Closes Ports of Seattle, Tacoma

ILWU Work Stoppage in the Changing World

There's news on the wire and information coming in from various sources including JS Connor:

"An ILWU work stoppage has been put into effect in Tacoma and Seattle which has resulted in

all carrier terminal operations being shut down.  The work stoppage is a result of a

dispute at Export Grain Terminal in Longview, Washington.  This action is affecting

all carriers terminal operations. "

At this point in time, the impact on the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach is unknown."

Impact of the last prolong stoppage on the west was horrible with long delays in catching up after the issues were resolved. 

FSMA moves Forward ... slowly

The implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act moves forward. 

At Blue Planet Foods, foreign plants are inspected carefully and personally.

The cornerstone of our corporate mission is that Blue Planet Foods, our sources and our customers are all partners and that we are responsible for knowledgeable and sound practices to insure quality of our mutual products.

Peru and the Changing World

The elections this weekend in Peru are going to impact our business.


Peru’s Nobel literary laureate, Mario Vargas Llosa, described the Humala-Fujimori choice as between “terminal cancer and AIDS.”


Artichokes, Seafood, Piquillos, and much more... The extremes won in the early rounds as the center split the votes.  

What a Difference A Day or 2 makes...

I apologize the lack of posts. The markets continue to suffer shortages that have taken me away from the speeching/blogging and thrust me head first into logistics and importing basics.

And through that same 4 week period we've seen the US $ regain lost ground and the predictions of 1.50 Euro barriers appears to be waning. We were then at 1.45 and rising with the peak hit on 4 May with 1.485.

Today we head back to between 1.40 and 1.43 it appears. The EU races towards potential breakup (rumors of this were it seems what caused the change in direction). The USA's inability to manage it's debt/political crisises and the Fed Reserve's reluctance to raise interest rates despite the evidence in our lives of inflation contributes to the uncertainty dilemma facing all of us.

And then there was Mr. D Strauss-Kahn's inexplicable acts.

What a month it has been...

And oh, did I say that there continue to be tremendous shortages in almost all products in which we trade!