Market Commentary
Statistics Canada released its initial estimates, which are based on surveys conducted last month, of planted area for 2019. Much like the U.S., they show a decline in oilseed plantings and an increase for grains. With the de facto Chinese embargo on Canadian canola weighing heavily on prices,...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 15-19 April 2019 While grain prices on the domestic market mostly dropped in RUB expression, they grew slightly in USD expression due to the strengthening of the ruble. Meanwhile, the average milling wheat sea export price fell to $222/MT FOB Black Sea, and purchase price...
Tri-Rift; Labor Waves
Tri-Rift President Donald Trump has ripped apart the trilateral EU-Japan-U.S. policy consortium and looks to increasingly target Europe with his bitterness. Yesterday he threatened reciprocity for Europe’s retaliatory duties against Harley Davidson, and the intent by Brussels to evade his...
Interactive Ocean Freight Rates (Updated 24 April)
Update for 24 April 2019: Thanks for the feedback and suggestions on the app below. We've made some adjustments to incorporate your ideas. Now, we're working on another app that will combine WPI's freight rate data with FOB price indications for corn, soybeans, and wheat. Stay tuned! As o...
China In-Country Analysis
Marco Trends March Economic Data Points to Effects of Stimulus and ASF In response to a sharp economic slowdown and the ongoing impact of the trade war with the U.S., China launched a series of stimulative measures at the end of 2018. After a tepid January and February, the country’s econ...
Market Commentary
Grain and soy prices chopped slightly around either side of unchanged in overnight trade, giving rise to thoughts that those markets might be able to muster up a Turnaround Tuesday. However, it was not to be. Renewed fund selling of corn and soybean contracts kept prices under pressure througho...
Ethanol Growth Faces Mixed Bag of RFS Regulations
According to data released late last week, the EPA has granted one additional small refinery exemption (SRE) for 2017 and received three more SRE requests for 2018 since the last reported update (see table below for current counts). The additional SRE for 2017 was from a very small refinery as...
Transparency’s Cost to Innovation
There is widespread support in Europe for the new revisions to the General Food Law, but research may prove the risk that the critics have warned about. Under the new law, the European Food Safety Authority must be much more transparent about the information it uses to determine the safety of c...
Agricultural Funds and ETFs
The theory that commodities were a useful tool for anyone seeking to diversify an investment portfolio gained considerable popularity in the early years of the 21st century. This was based on studies indicating that commodity and equity prices often moved in opposite directions. The viability o...
Oilseed Highlights: EU Rapeseed; EU Soy Imports; Mexican Soy Imports; Brazilian Truck Strike
Neonicotinoid Insecticide Ban May End Rapeseed Crops in the EU The EU restricted the use of three neonicotinoid insecticides on flowering plants beginning in 2013 because of a belief they were responsible for the decline in bee populations. It then banned the use of all such insecticides on all...
Middle East, Mediterranean and Africa Regional Analysis
Regional Updates MIDDLE EAST/MEDITERRANEAN COMMENTS As of 15 April, Egypt had bought approximately 365,000 MT of local wheat against its purchase target of 3.6 MMT. Wheat buyers from Morocco and Tunisia were in the U.S. last week to closely examine its wheat infrastructure. The group visi...
Market Commentary
Grain and oilseed markets came back from the long Easter holiday weekend in a slightly bearish mode overnight and today with wheat the weakest. Weather forecasts are starting to look better as May approaches. If they prove to be accurate, corn and soybean planting should catch up quickly. That...
Market Commentary
Statistics Canada released its initial estimates, which are based on surveys conducted last month, of planted area for 2019. Much like the U.S., they show a decline in oilseed plantings and an increase for grains. With the de facto Chinese embargo on Canadian canola weighing heavily on prices,...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 15-19 April 2019 While grain prices on the domestic market mostly dropped in RUB expression, they grew slightly in USD expression due to the strengthening of the ruble. Meanwhile, the average milling wheat sea export price fell to $222/MT FOB Black Sea, and purchase price...
Tri-Rift; Labor Waves
Tri-Rift President Donald Trump has ripped apart the trilateral EU-Japan-U.S. policy consortium and looks to increasingly target Europe with his bitterness. Yesterday he threatened reciprocity for Europe’s retaliatory duties against Harley Davidson, and the intent by Brussels to evade his...
Interactive Ocean Freight Rates (Updated 24 April)
Update for 24 April 2019: Thanks for the feedback and suggestions on the app below. We've made some adjustments to incorporate your ideas. Now, we're working on another app that will combine WPI's freight rate data with FOB price indications for corn, soybeans, and wheat. Stay tuned! As o...
China In-Country Analysis
Marco Trends March Economic Data Points to Effects of Stimulus and ASF In response to a sharp economic slowdown and the ongoing impact of the trade war with the U.S., China launched a series of stimulative measures at the end of 2018. After a tepid January and February, the country’s econ...
Market Commentary
Grain and soy prices chopped slightly around either side of unchanged in overnight trade, giving rise to thoughts that those markets might be able to muster up a Turnaround Tuesday. However, it was not to be. Renewed fund selling of corn and soybean contracts kept prices under pressure througho...
Ethanol Growth Faces Mixed Bag of RFS Regulations
According to data released late last week, the EPA has granted one additional small refinery exemption (SRE) for 2017 and received three more SRE requests for 2018 since the last reported update (see table below for current counts). The additional SRE for 2017 was from a very small refinery as...
Transparency’s Cost to Innovation
There is widespread support in Europe for the new revisions to the General Food Law, but research may prove the risk that the critics have warned about. Under the new law, the European Food Safety Authority must be much more transparent about the information it uses to determine the safety of c...
Agricultural Funds and ETFs
The theory that commodities were a useful tool for anyone seeking to diversify an investment portfolio gained considerable popularity in the early years of the 21st century. This was based on studies indicating that commodity and equity prices often moved in opposite directions. The viability o...
Oilseed Highlights: EU Rapeseed; EU Soy Imports; Mexican Soy Imports; Brazilian Truck Strike
Neonicotinoid Insecticide Ban May End Rapeseed Crops in the EU The EU restricted the use of three neonicotinoid insecticides on flowering plants beginning in 2013 because of a belief they were responsible for the decline in bee populations. It then banned the use of all such insecticides on all...
Middle East, Mediterranean and Africa Regional Analysis
Regional Updates MIDDLE EAST/MEDITERRANEAN COMMENTS As of 15 April, Egypt had bought approximately 365,000 MT of local wheat against its purchase target of 3.6 MMT. Wheat buyers from Morocco and Tunisia were in the U.S. last week to closely examine its wheat infrastructure. The group visi...
Market Commentary
Grain and oilseed markets came back from the long Easter holiday weekend in a slightly bearish mode overnight and today with wheat the weakest. Weather forecasts are starting to look better as May approaches. If they prove to be accurate, corn and soybean planting should catch up quickly. That...