We demystify trade policy, tariffs and geopolitics in two main ways:

1. Our WJ Insights newsletter, and
2. Advisory services for investors and businesses.

We also speak at conferences, events, and on webinars.

Our analysis, commentary, forecasts and advisory services are designed to help your organization manage risk, anticipate opportunities, and make more confident decisions in the midst of historic international volatility and uncertainty.

About Chris

Chris Siepmann is Managing Director of Weller James and Editor-in-Chief of WJ Insights. He is an international trade policy and enforcement expert with over a decade of experience advising senior U.S. government officials on tariffs, non-tariff barriers, trade agreement enforcement, trade negotiations, trade disputes, forced labor enforcement, and other trade policy issues. He formerly served as Director for Trade Enforcement at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, where he advised on tariffs (including the Section 301 China tariffs), foreign retaliatory actions and other international trade policy issues during the first Trump and Biden administrations. He also oversaw U.S. government investigations into unfair foreign trade practices at the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration. Chris is now based in Austin, TX.

Advisory Services

Our engagements range from briefings on discrete issues to broad, long-term advisory relationships and organization-wide capacity-building projects. No two projects are the same - we invest in relationships with each client, learn their needs, and leverage the most appropriate strategies for each situation.

Advisory calls

Need expert insights on short notice? We offer quick-turn advisory calls for business leaders and investors wanting to better understand the latest developments in trade, tariffs or geopolitics.

Strategic advisory projects

We offer geopolitical risk audits, forecasting, scenario development, and playbooks to help your organization build resiliency and get ahead of a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape.

Exercises and organizational capacity-building

Empower senior leaders and staff with hands-on skills and knowledge they need to navigate emerging issues and develop your organization's in-house geopolitical and policy risk capabilities.

Briefings, reporting and analysis

We provide analysis of geopolitical risk, regulatory trends and changes, international economic trends, and economic and trade data - tailored to your business's needs. Spot trends and make informed business decisions with clear, actionable insights. Onsite or virtual briefings are available.

Capital advisory

We help clients evaluate geopolitical and policy risks and considerations tied to mergers, acquisions, fundraising, and other capital strategies and transactions to help them achieve their growth and liquidity goals.

Investment advisory

We help investment banks, hedge funds, private equity, sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, family offices, and a range of other investors manage geopolitical and policy risk in their portfolios. We also provide strategic intelligence on potential future geopolitical and policy outcomes.

Government affairs and advocacy support

We help government affairs teams understand new policy actions and develop strategies for achieving desired policy outcomes. We also offer bespoke reporting, analysis and support for policy proposal development. (We are not registered lobbyists and do not directly engage in lobbying activities).

Interested in learning more? Click here to request an advisory call or discovery call.