CBOT March 2023 corn with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn, wheat ease on firm U.S. dollar, export concerns

U.S. rail union votes against tentative contract deal

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade grain futures eased on Monday as a stronger dollar and worries about U.S. exports weighed on prices, analysts said. The dollar advanced against most major currencies, making U.S. commodities look less attractive to importers, as tightened COVID-19 rules in China fuelled worries over the global economic outlook. […] Read more

BNSF crews clear track near Lemmon, S.D., about 300 km northeast of Rapid City, in late December 2016. (BNSF.com)

Biggest U.S. rail union rejects tentative deal, raising threat of strike

Union digs in on paid sick time

Washington/Los Angeles | Reuters — Workers at the largest U.S. rail union voted against a tentative contract deal reached in September, raising the possibility of a year-end strike that could cause significant damage to the U.S. economy and strand vital shipments of food and fuel. Train and engine service members of the transportation division of […] Read more


File photo of a CN locomotive in Chicago. (Photo courtesy CN)

Third U.S. union rejects national rail contract deal

Two major unions' decisions due next week

Washington | Reuters — A third U.S. rail union voted on Monday to reject a tentative national contract reached in September, but expects to continue negotiating to reach a deal. The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers (IBB), which represents about 300 U.S. rail employees, rejected the agreement, said the union and the National Carriers’ Conference Committee […] Read more

CBOT December 2022 soft red winter wheat (candlesticks) with 20-day moving average (green line), MGEX December 2022 spring wheat (yellow line) and K.C. December 2022 hard red wheat (orange line). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat futures fall from two-month highs amid broad sell-off

USDA resumes weekly export sales data

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. grain and soybean futures closed lower on Thursday, with profit-taking dragging wheat down from two-month highs, traders said. Broad-based selling added pressure on prices as traders reduced their risk amid growing warnings of a global economic slowdown, analysts said. “Inflation and recession concerns hit all markets today,” CHS Hedging said. […] Read more


File photo of a BNSF grain train crossing the Gassman Coulee trestle near Minot, North Dakota. (Photo courtesy BNSF Railway)

U.S. railroad strike averted

Biden calls deal a 'win for America;' strike's impact would have reached up into Canada

Updated | Washington | Reuters — Major U.S. railroads and unions secured a tentative deal on Thursday after 20 hours of intense talks brokered by President Joe Biden’s administration to avert a rail shutdown that could have hit food and fuel supplies across the country and beyond. Biden called the deal a “big win for […] Read more

File photo of a BNSF grain train in Montana. (Photo courtesy BNSF Railway)

U.S. railways to halt grain shipments ahead of potential shutdown

Fall fertilizer traffic also at risk

Chicago | Reuters — Some U.S. railroads will start halting crop shipments on Thursday, a day ahead of a potential work stoppage, an agricultural association and sources at two grain co-operatives said on Tuesday, threatening exports and feed deliveries for livestock. With farmers starting to harvest autumn crops that are shipped to meat and biofuels […] Read more


File photo of a BNSF grain train crossing the Gassman Coulee trestle near Minot, North Dakota. (Photo courtesy BNSF Railway)

U.S. government makes contingency plans for rail shutdown

Three unions represent about 60,000 rail workers

Washington/Los Angeles | Reuters — U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration on Tuesday made contingency plans aiming to ensure deliveries of critical goods in the event of a shutdown of the U.S. rail system while pressing railroads and unions to reach a deal to avoid a work stoppage affecting freight and passenger service. The potential shutdown, […] Read more

(File photo by Dave Bedard)

CP arbitration ends in two-year deal for engineers, conductors

Dispute led to rail service outage in March

Mediation and arbitration hearings over the weekend have ended in a two-year labour deal for engineers, conductors and train and yard service staff at Canadian Pacific Railway. The agreement puts a formal lid on the latest round of contract disputes between Calgary-based CP and its 3,000-odd unionized employees represented by the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference […] Read more


BNSF crews clear track near Lemmon, S.D., about 300 km northeast of Rapid City, in late December 2016. (BNSF.com)

Biden steps in to help end freight rail labour disputes

Disputes dragging at BNSF, Union Pacific

Washington | Reuters — U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday signed an executive order creating an emergency board to help resolve disputes between major freight rail carriers and their unions, in a move that could help loosen up some supply chain constraints. The order came ahead of a deadline next week to intervene in nationwide […] Read more

Crews work as Canadian Pacific Railway tracks are suspended above the washed-out Tank Hill underpass of the Trans-Canada Highway after devastating rain storms caused flooding and landslides, northeast of Lytton, B.C. on Nov. 20, 2021. (Photo: B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure handout via Reuters)

Year-end profits up for CN, CP despite lower grain handles

Railways' ledgers weather drought, B.C. disasters

Both of Canada’s big two railways were able to improve their overall gross and net in 2021 over 2020 despite a yield-robbing drought and disastrous track and bridge washouts in southern British Columbia. Canadian National Railway (CN) on Tuesday reported 2021 net income of $4.892 billion on $14.477 billion in gross revenue, up from $3.784 […] Read more