Export premiums for corn and soyabeans shipped from the US Gulf Coast were steady to lower on Thursday, weighed down by weak CIF barge basis values and limited export demand, traders said. Hard red winter wheat export premiums tumbled along with falling CIF basis values. Soft red winter wheat premiums were flat. US corn and soyabeans are facing stiff competition from cheaper South American supplies. Cash prices for newly harvested South American crops fell on Thursday as farmers actively liquidated supplies.
Top soyabean importer China booked several cargoes of July- and August-loaded Brazilian beans, a trader said. Spot CIF corn barge basis values hovered near the lowest point since 2012. July barges traded as low at 18 cents a bushel over Chicago Board of Trade September futures. CIF soyabean basis bids dropped by as much as 3 cents a bushel on Thursday, pressured by weakening cash basis values in South America, traders said.
The US Department of Agriculture is due to release weekly export sales data early on Friday, delayed by a day because of this week's Independence Day holiday. Old-crop corn sales and new-crop soyabean sales are expected to be higher than the prior week, according to analysts surveyed by Reuters. FOB Gulf offers for soyabeans loaded through mid-July were around 40 cents a bushel over CBOT August futures, a trader said. Loadings later this month were 43 cents over futures while August offers were 45 cents over futures.
July corn vessels were offered around 30 cents over Chicago Board of Trade September futures. August vessels were offered around 34 cents over futures. Soft red winter wheat offers for July and August loadings were 60 cents a bushel over CBOT September futures. Premiums for 12-percent protein hard red winter wheat cargoes loaded this month and next month were around 180 cents over September futures.