Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures fell to life-of-contract lows on Monday and soybeans briefly dipped below US$9 a bushel for the first time since 2016 as favourable weather outlooks bolstered yield prospects and trade tensions threatened export demand, analysts said. Chicago Board of Trade soft red winter wheat futures also sagged and K.C. […] Read more

U.S. grains: Corn at contract lows, soy dips below $9

Saputo urges end to contentious Class 7 system
Winnipeg | Reuters –– Saputo, one of Canada’s largest dairies, supports ending a domestic milk ingredient pricing system that has angered the United States, CEO Lino Saputo Jr. said on Monday, showing a rare crack in solidarity among processors and the country’s dairy farmers. The Class 7 pricing agreement, struck in 2016 between Canadian dairy […] Read more

U.S. grains: China trade spat sparks soy futures selloff
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures plunged 2.5 per cent to a one-year low on Friday on concerns that escalations in a trade fight with China would threaten shipments to the biggest buyer of the oilseed, traders said. U.S. President Donald Trump announced hefty tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese imports on Friday, with […] Read more

U.S. soybeans stay on China’s retaliation list for Trump tariffs
Washington/Beijing | Reuters — U.S. President Donald Trump said he was pushing ahead with hefty tariffs on US$50 billion of Chinese imports on Friday, and the smoldering trade war between the world’s two largest economies showed signs of igniting as Beijing immediately vowed to respond in kind. Trump laid out a list of more than […] Read more

Canada says agreed with U.S. to keep NAFTA alive, no talks set
Reuters — Canada agreed with the U.S. on Thursday that slow-moving talks to update NAFTA should continue, although they did not set a date for the next round, a senior official said in remarks casting further doubt on the chances of a deal this year. Negotiations to modernize the North American Free Trade Agreement started […] Read more

Amid trade uncertainties, Linamar builds up ag unit
CNS Canada — When Linamar announced it was purchasing MacDon Industries at the end of last year, there was trade uncertainty for Canada. Since then, the issues have ballooned, but Linamar isn’t panicking. “We’re trying to look past (the trade uncertainty) a little bit because there’s a lot going on there and we don’t know […] Read more

ICE weekly outlook: Canola facing uncertainty
CNS Canada — ICE Futures Canada canola contracts fell to their lowest levels in more than three months during the week ended Wednesday, but could still have more room to the downside given the general sense of global trade uncertainty. “Every commodity trader in North America or globally is scared to death right now,” said […] Read more

Trudeau safe for now as Trump attacks, but angry farmers loom
Ottawa | Reuters — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, facing the threat of a trade war from U.S. President Donald Trump, has unanimous domestic support for now but to keep a firm hold on power must wring concessions from an unwilling powerful dairy lobby in order to mollify Washington. Trudeau, who over the last year […] Read more

Canada’s dairy farmers cling to protections as Trump demands concessions
Winnipeg/Chicago | Reuters — Canadian dairy farmers want trade negotiators to keep their hands off the protected sector in increasingly contentious talks with the United States, however loudly U.S. President Donald Trump demands greater access, an executive with Canada’s biggest dairy lobby group said Monday. The sector, worth $21 billion in farm and processed dairy […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Profit-taking, renewed trade fears drop CME hogs
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures on Monday reversed Friday’s advances, hit by profit-taking and renewed concerns over U.S. exports following late last week’s contentious G-7 summit, said traders. Europe will implement counter-measures against U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum just like Canada, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Sunday, voicing regret […] Read more