Reading Time: 4 minutes Washington/Mexico City | Reuters — The United States and Mexico struck a deal on Friday to avert a tariff war, with Mexico agreeing to rapidly expand a controversial asylum program and deploy security forces to stem the flow of illegal Central American migrants. U.S. President Donald Trump had threatened to impose five per cent import […] Read more
Trump calls off tariffs after Mexico vows to tighten borders
U.S. livestock: Futures end week on sour note
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle and hog futures fell on Friday, pressured by fears that Mexico, a key importer of both U.S. beef and pork, will retaliate against President Donald Trump’s plans to roll out tariffs on imports from Mexico next week. The trade worries come as U.S. supplies of both hogs […] Read more
U.S. grains: Wheat rebounds on weather abroad
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago wheat futures rose on Thursday, rebounding after two days of deep losses, with support from dry weather that is expected to reduce yields in Russia and Australia. Traders said they are monitoring wet conditions in the southern U.S. Plains and Midwest that threaten winter wheat quality, as well as the […] Read more
CBOT weekly outlook: Weather, trade wars keep futures volatile
Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — Extended durations of wet spring weather continue to buoy prices on the Chicago Board of Trade — and price volatility will remain high based on long-term weather forecasts. “Whenever you’re in a weather problem phase, volatility tends to increase,” explained Terry Reilly, a grains analyst with Futures International. Currently, soybeans are trading around […] Read more
U.S. grains: Futures plummet on Midwest weather, profit-taking
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. grain futures plummeted across the board on Wednesday, as fears eased about the potential for rain damage to the wheat crop and forecasts of warmer temperatures in the U.S. Midwest opened a narrow planting window for soybean farmers. The burgeoning U.S.-Mexico trade fight added pressure to corn futures, despite a […] Read more
Trump tariffs could cost an extra nickel per burrito, says Chipotle
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — Chipotle Mexican Grill on Monday estimated a US$15 million hit from President Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs on Mexican imports, and said it could cover that by raising burrito prices by around five cents. The U.S.-based Mexican-themed chain’s finance chief Jack Hartung said its margins would be reduced by 20-30 basis points if the […] Read more
U.S. grains: CBOT wheat rallies on weather
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures rallied on Monday on concerns about harvest risks as more heavy rain was forecast in some U.S. grain belts and warm, dry weather was expected in top wheat exporter Russia. Meanwhile, corn and soybean futures traded choppily as the markets digested a threat of U.S. tariffs against Mexico, […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Trade fights continue to batter live cattle, lean hogs
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) live cattle and lean hog futures fell for a second trading day on Monday — with live cattle futures hitting a near-10 month low — amid robust supplies and trade fights quelling export demand, traders said. But trade issues helped feeder cattle futures settle the day slightly […] Read more
U.S. grains: Trump tariff threat pushes corn, soy, wheat lower
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn, wheat and soybean futures fell on Friday, weighed down by fresh concerns about demand after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to place tariffs on imports of goods from Mexico in response to illegal immigration across the U.S. border. All three commodities also faced pressure from profit-taking after posting big […] Read more
Mexico, Canada plow ahead on trade pact ratification despite Trump threats
Reading Time: 2 minutes Mexico City/Ottawa | Reuters — Mexico and Canada said on Friday they would proceed with plans to ratify a new continental trade pact despite a new threat from U.S. President Donald Trump that critics say could undermine chances of the treaty coming into force. Trump, whose administration has made passing the United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) free […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
