The United States sold at least 332,000 tonnes of soybeans to China during the government shutdown, with more business to “unknown destinations” also likely headed to the country, according to a cache of daily sales data released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Nov. 14.
Soybean and corn yields in the United States were revised downward from earlier estimates in updated supply/demand tables from the United States Department of Agriculture released Nov. 14.
Regardless of the United States government shutdown ending soon or not, the Department of Agriculture is set to issue its supply and demand report on Nov. 14. The USDA cancelled its October edition of World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates due to the shutdown and pushed back their November report a few days.
Chicago soybeans ticked up slightly on Wednesday as traders adjusted positions ahead of the release of official U.S. data on global supply and demand on Friday, the first update in weeks, but prices were capped by a lack of large Chinese purchases.
Optimism over thawing trade relations between the United States and China gave soybean futures at the Chicago Board of Trade a boost during the week ended Oct. 29, with the advances in the soy market spilling into corn and wheat.
U.S. soybean futures retreated on Friday from a one-month high, pressured by a dip in crude oil prices and a round of farmer selling while market players awaited upcoming U.S. trade talks with China, the world’s top soybean buyer.