CBOT soyabeans dropped 7.33 percent in 2018, their second annual loss in two years, and this was largely due to disrupted trade between the United States and top buyer China. Through Dec. 20, China had 3.72 million tonnes of US soyabeans on the books for delivery in 2018-19, significantly less than the 24 million that had been on order a year earlier.
Money managers were net short 85,506 soyabean futures and options contracts on Jan. 2, 2018.