US Export Competitiveness Sinking

Grains consolidated overnight following yesterday’s sharp losses in soybeans. In outside markets, the US Dollar was weaker and equity futures continued their slump.

Soybeans got hit hard on Monday giving up 25 cents as traders bank on good crops in South America. Argentina will see showers in the south late today and Wednesday, with the north part of the country seeing rains Friday and Saturday. Rain totals of 1 to 3” are expected to benefit yield potential. In Brazil, yesterday saw scattered showers in Center-West/Center-South Brazil but over the next 2 weeks there should be wider coverage to benefit the crops. The dry areas of NE Brazil see brief showers by 11-15 day to ease dryness temporarily.

Japan's Ministry of Agriculture is seeking to buy a total of 108,442 tonnes of food quality wheat from the United States, Canada and Australia in a regular tender that will close late on Thursday.

The euro jumped against the dollar on Tuesday after U.S. President Donald Trump's trade advisor told the Financial Times that Germany was benefiting from a "grossly undervalued" euro. The euro climbed after the comments, reaching a five-day high and knocking the .DXY dollar index down 0.4 percent to below 100 for the first time in five days.

—Kevin McNew