(Photo courtesy Architect of the Capitol, VisitTheCapitol.gov)

Trudeau to meet with Pelosi, McConnell on USMCA

Reading Time: 2 minutes Washington | Reuters — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this week is set to meet with Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the Democrat-controlled U.S. House of Representatives, and U.S. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, in a bid to fast-track passage of a delayed trade deal, two congressional aides said on Monday. Trudeau is to […] Read more


(Gloria Solano-Aguilar photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures pull back on large supplies

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog futures tumbled on Tuesday as traders said a rally the previous day looked overdone in the face of large supplies. Feeder cattle futures also weakened, while live cattle futures closed higher. Hog futures pulled back after climbing on Monday, when traders were relieved that U.S. President Donald Trump had […] Read more



A Mexican port-of-entry sign on Highway 92 near Naco, Arizona. (Rex_Wholster/iStock/Getty Images)

Trump calls off tariffs after Mexico vows to tighten borders

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

CME August 2019 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

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


CBOT July 2019 wheat with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

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 July 2019 soybeans (candlestick chart) compared to July 2019 soybeans (orange line chart). (Barchart)

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


CBOT July 2019 wheat with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

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

File photo of a scratch-and-sniff sticker promotion by Chipotle Mexican Grill. (Chipotle.com via PRNewswire)

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