Is China BACK?? USDA's Upward Demand Revisions (Soybeans)

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Friday's USDA report brought few surprises, with old crop US balance sheets for corn and soybeans remaining unchanged, while the US wheat export projection saw a 15 million bushel cut. A small downward revision to Brazil's soybean crop estimate was made, although it remains above consensus. Notably, the report highlighted upward demand revisions for Chinese soybeans across multiple marketing years, with an upward revision to this year's Chinese soybean import forecast.

In market movements, fund traders maintain historically large net short positions across the corn and soybean complex, with net buying observed for corn contracts but continued selling for soybeans and SRW wheat contracts. Additionally, USDA reported another "flash cancellation" of US SRW wheat to China, marking the second cancellation in two days.

On the global front, the United Nations' food price index has reached its lowest level since February 2021, attributed to expectations of a significant South American corn crop and competitive prices from Ukraine. Vegetable oil prices also declined due to abundant supplies from South America, reflecting in a 22.3% year-over-year drop in the agency's cereal index.

Despite market fluctuations, job growth exceeded expectations last month, with nonfarm payrolls increasing by 275,000, surpassing economists' projections. However, revisions to December and January job growth figures were downward, with the unemployment rate increasing slightly to 3.9% in February.

As agricultural and economic landscapes continue to evolve, stay informed with updates on market trends and their broader implications. 🔄🌱💼