Trade Matters Ag markets are on pins and needles as they wait to see if a trade deal can be salvaged from the U.S.-China negotiations now taking place in Washington, DC. In the livestock and poultry sector, that anxiety extends to the fate of the USMCA in Congress and the negotiations with Japan over a new free trade deal (or at least the ag components). Four of the top five markets for U.S. red meat and poultry are represented in those uncertain processes cited above.
The fifth market is Korea, the hero of the beef (and thus cattle, corn and DDGS) market over the past year. It accounted for half of the $1 billion increase in global beef exports in 2018. The U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) was implemented in 2012, a time when th...
What You Need to Know Today: After a period of limited activity, USDA reported a sizeable 613 KMT in soybean export sales, including 330 KMT to China and 283 KMT to unknown destinations, potentially also China. The purchases represent a meaningful pickup in demand and bring China closer to ful...
Key Takeaways: Consumer spending is a key driver of the U.S. economy, and the latest retail sales data indicate that spending remains robust despite inflation. In September, total retail and food service sales rose more than 6 percent year-over-year, with food service spending up 7 percent and...
The Trump import plan for 300,000 MT of beef supplies used for ground beef, i.e., lean trim, from September through November has, according to Secretary Brooke Rollins, brought some relief to beef prices. The Executive Order states that the Secretary of Agriculture will analyze and review the m...
