MarketsFarm — Though China and the United States signed their Phase One trade deal on Wednesday, commodity markets remained “extremely cautious,” according to one analyst. Prices were muted at midday following a signing ceremony at the White House, due to the lack of public details regarding the deal. The market is “preparing for disappointment,” according […] Read more
CBOT weekly outlook: Trading cautious on Phase One pact
Thunder Bay wraps up active shipping season
MarketsFarm — The last cargo vessel of the year departed the Port of Thunder Bay on Sunday, bringing total cargo shipments through the facility to their highest level in half-a-decade. “Strong shipments of Prairie-grown grain and other dry bulk commodities from Western Canada buoyed the port’s cargo tonnage to 9.3 million metric tonnes, the highest […] Read more
Grain World: Opportunities great for Canadian pulses, AGT CEO says
Saskatoon | MarketsFarm — To Murad Al-Katib, the opportunities for Canadian pulse exports to India are amazing, provided one correctly understands the context of India’s tariffs on pulses. Also, he said, those Canadian exporters must realize they need to switch from being solely dependent on commodities to adding value by shipping food and ingredients. “We […] Read more
Commodities firm INTL FCStone enters Canadian market
Already handling ag commodities via partners north of the border, U.S. commodities brokerage and financial services firm INTL FCStone is bringing its own name into the Canadian market. The New York firm announced Tuesday it became a member of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) effective May 17, clearing the company to offer […] Read more
Baltic Dry Index near 2-1/2-year lows
The Baltic Dry Index (BDI) has dropped sharply over the past two months, as declining global demand for commodities — especially from China — weighed on the economic indicator. The BDI, compiled daily by the London-based Baltic Exchange, provides an assessment of the price of moving major raw materials by sea, including grain. The BDI […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn, soy, wheat end lower
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn and soybean futures ticked lower on Monday, pressured by broad declines in commodity and equity markets as well as improving forecasts for South American crop weather, traders said. Wheat followed the weaker trend. Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) March corn futures settled down 1/2 cent at $3.79-3/4 per bushel […] Read more
Rail now moving fluidly through Vancouver, CN says
Winnipeg | Reuters — Congestion at Port Metro Vancouver, Canada’s busiest port, has been resolved and rail operations are now “fluid,” Canadian National Railway said Friday. Canadian National and rival Canadian Pacific Railway were rationing space on trains travelling in the Vancouver area and prioritized some commodities over others to deal with congestion, causing complaints […] Read more
Railways ration space as commodity congestion problems worsen
Winnipeg | Reuters — Canada’s two major railways are rationing space on trains traveling to the country’s biggest port and recently prioritized some commodities over others to deal with congestion, the latest indication of their struggle to meet demand from new trade deals. That move prompted Canada’s transport regulator last week to start an investigation […] Read more
Louis Dreyfus to exit dairy by mid-2019
Paris | Reuters –– Louis Dreyfus Co. said on Wednesday it would sell or wind down its small dairy business by the middle of this year as part of an overhaul to revive growth at the agricultural commodity giant. Privately-held Louis Dreyfus had previously earmarked dairy as one of several activities to be sold or […] Read more
No big problems seen in grain transportation so far
CNS Canada — It’s so far, so good with grain shipments to the three major Canadian ports according, to a spokesperson with Quorum Corporation, which compiles weekly performance updates on Canada’s grain handling sector. The spokesperson said there not have been any big problems recently, only a few sporadic instances in rail shipments. There has […] Read more
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