MarketsFarm — Over the last few weeks, soybean and corn prices on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) have stabilized, according to Scott Capinegro of Barrington Commodities at Barrington, Ill. “And that’s a good thing. Where this goes from here is still anybody’s guess,” he said. Noting that the crops in the United States are […] Read more
CBOT weekly outlook: Prices stable, crops looking good
India reduces tariffs on lentils
Reduction set for all lentil imports except from U.S.
MarketsFarm — India is temporarily reducing import tariffs on lentils originating from most countries. The India government’s Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs on Tuesday posted “Notice 26/2020-Customs,” which lowers import taxes on most lentils entering the country, from 30 per cent to 10 per cent. The reduction, which takes immediate effect, runs until […] Read more
China tells state firms to halt purchases of major U.S. farm products
Purchases of soybeans, pork, corn, cotton on hold
Beijing/Singapore | Reuters –– China has told state-owned firms to halt purchases of soybeans and pork from the United States, two people familiar with the matter said, after Washington said it would eliminate special treatment for Hong Kong to punish Beijing. Large-volume state purchases of U.S. corn and cotton have also been put on hold, […] Read more
Huawei executive loses key court argument in fight against extradition
Toronto/Vancouver | Reuters — Huawei’s chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou has lost a key aspect of the trial on her extradition to the United States, a Canadian court announced on Wednesday. Meng, a Chinese citizen, was arrested in December 2018 in Vancouver on a warrant issued by U.S. authorities, who accuse her of bank fraud […] Read more
Canada, U.S. agree on extension for ban on non-essential travel
Ottawa | Reuters — Canada and the United States have agreed to extend a ban on non-essential travel between the two nations by another 30 days as part of the fight against the coronavirus, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday. U.S. and Canadian officials had said last week it was likely that the measure […] Read more
Pulse weekly outlook: Chickpea acreage expected lower
MarketsFarm — High global prices in the 2017-18 marketing year caused a global spike in chickpea production in 2018. It’s since taken a while for consumers to “chew through supplies,” which has put pressure on prices, according to Chuck Penner of LeftField Commodities. In a kabuli chickpea global outlook webinar hosted by the Global Pulse […] Read more
CUSMA pact to take effect July 1, USTR says
Washington | Reuters — U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on Friday said he has notified Congress that the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement will take effect on July 1, a month later than initially proposed. In a statement, Lighthizer said both Mexico and Canada had taken measures necessary to comply with their commitments under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada […] Read more
Bunge to sell 35 U.S. elevators to Zen-Noh Grain
Chicago | Reuters — Agricultural commodities trader Bunge said on Tuesday it will sell 35 of its interior U.S. grain elevators to Zen-Noh Grain, dramatically reducing its grain origination network in the United States. Financial details of the sale with the subsidiary of Japan’s Zen-Noh Group were not disclosed, and the deal is subject to […] Read more
U.S. egg prices hit record levels as pandemic buying boosts demand
Washington | Reuters — Increased demand for eggs in the United States has sent egg prices soaring in recent weeks as consumers scramble to stock up on staples due to coronavirus shutdowns. Wholesale prices of “Midwest large” eggs hit an all-time high of $3.09 a dozen on Thursday, triple their level in early March, before […] Read more
No need for more U.S. farm aid after China deal, Perdue says
Austin | Reuters — With China poised to increase purchases of U.S. agricultural goods this year as part of a Phase One trade deal, the U.S. agriculture secretary said on Monday there is no need for a third year of trade-related aid for farmers. Farmers have increasingly relied on aid from the U.S. government to […] Read more
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