Soybean futures rose to around $11.8 per bushel, reaching a four-week high, supported by firm biofuel-linked demand and fresh cues from the USDA’s latest monthly report. The agency raised its soybean crush forecast by 35 million bushels to a record 2.61 billion, marking a fifth straight annual high, but this was fully offset by a similar cut in exports to 1.54 billion due to stronger South American competition. As a result, ending stocks were left unchanged at 350 million bushels, broadly in line with expectations. Globally, stocks edged lower to 124.79 million metric tons, while production estimates for Brazil and Argentina were held steady. Meanwhile, crude oil prices surged after President Trump ordered a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, intensifying supply concerns and boosting biodiesel demand. Hopes of stronger demand from China, the world’s largest soybean importer, also supported prices, as Trump and Xi Jinping are expected to meet in just over a month to discuss trade.
