CME October 2018 live cattle, with 20-day moving average in blue. (Barchart.com)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle end mixed

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures ended mixed on Thursday as nearby contracts were anchored by their premium to cash market prices while deferred months firmed to contract highs on a strong demand outlook, traders said. Feeder cattle futures followed deferred live cattle contracts higher, along with continued support from a slumping corn […] Read more



A view near the Canadian end of the Ambassador Bridge, which connects Windsor and Detroit and is considered one of North America’s busiest trade routes. (Steven_Kriemadis/iStock/Getty Images)

U.S.-Canada trade talks grind on, ‘final’ issues unresolved

Washington | Reuters — U.S. and Canadian negotiators pushed ahead in grinding talks to rescue the North American Free Trade Agreement on Thursday, but a few stubborn issues stood in the way of a deal, including dairy, protection for media companies, and how to solve future trade disputes. A U.S. source familiar with the discussions […] Read more

(Gelmold/iStock/Getty Images)

U.S. grains: Wheat extends losing streak

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade wheat futures fell for the third day in a row to their lowest in more than seven weeks on Thursday on expectations that U.S. supplies will continue to struggle to gain traction on the global export market, traders said. Corn futures ended firm, supported by bargain buying […] Read more



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Progress seen in NAFTA talks

Washington | Reuters — The U.S. and Canada have made progress in talks to revise the North American Free Trade Agreement, and officials from the two sides will work together into the night to flesh out areas for further discussion, Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Wednesday. Freeland sounded upbeat as she emerged from […] Read more



U.S. President Donald Trump holds “Make Our Farmers Great Again” hats during a “Make America Great Again” rally in Evansville, Indiana on Aug. 30, 2018. (Photo: Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)

Canada, U.S. push toward NAFTA deal by Friday

Washington | Reuters — Top NAFTA negotiators from Canada and the U.S. increased the pace of their negotiations Thursday to resolve final differences to meet a Friday deadline, with their Mexican counterpart on standby to rejoin the talks soon. Despite some contentious issues still on the table, the increasingly positive tone contrasted with U.S. President […] Read more



China brought in 600,000 tonnes of barley in July, down 16.2 percent from the previous year.  Photo: Thinkstock

China’s July grain imports plunge as tariffs on U.S. supplies bite

Beijing | Reuters – China’s grain imports plunged in July after Beijing imposed hefty tariffs on shipments from the United States as part of its trade conflict and as rising international prices curbed buying, customs data showed on Thursday. China brought in 220,000 tonnes of sorghum in July, down 62.5 percent from 588,364 tonnes a year ago, data from […] Read more