CBOT January 2020 soybeans with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: China trade news provides lift

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures touched a three-week high on Friday after Washington and Beijing announced a “phase one” trade deal, but the market pared gains amid uncertainty about the details of the pact, including the size of any potential Chinese agricultural purchases. As part of the agreement, Beijing committed to buy an […] Read more






CBOT March 2020 corn with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soy, corn firm on trade deal hopes

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures firmed on Tuesday, rising for a sixth consecutive session on hopes that the United States and China will continue to progress toward an interim trade deal. Corn futures also edged higher on an improved trade outlook as Canada, Mexico and the United States approved changes to a preliminary […] Read more

CBOT January 2020 soybeans with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybean futures set two-week high

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures rose for a fifth straight session to their highest in two weeks as Chinese importers on Monday bought at least five bulk cargo shipments of the oilseed from the United States, or about 300,000 tonnes, traders said. A rally to four-week highs in soyoil futures helped support the […] Read more





Champagne vineyards at Montagne de Reims, France. (Southtownboy/iStock/Getty Images)

U.S. vows 100 per cent tariffs on France’s champagne, cheese over digital tax

Washington | Reuters — The U.S. government on Monday said it may slap punitive duties of up to 100 per cent on US$2.4 billion in imports from France of champagne, handbags, cheese and other products, after concluding that France’s new digital services tax would harm U.S. tech companies. The U.S. Trade Representative’s office said its […] Read more

A cargo ship is loaded with Brazilian soybeans bound for China. (Photo: Reuters/Paulo Whitaker)

Trump, citing U.S. farmers, slaps metal tariffs on Brazil, Argentina

Washington/Rio de Janeiro | Reuters — U.S. President Donald Trump ambushed Brazil and Argentina on Monday, announcing tariffs on U.S. steel and aluminum imports from the two countries in a measure that shocked South American officials and left them scrambling for answers. In an early morning tweet, Trump said the tariffs, “effective immediately,” were necessary […] Read more