This week, Canada implemented a 25% retaliatory tariff on an initial tranche of more than $20 billion in US imports, including $5.5 billion worth of agricultural products, the USDA’s Foreign Agriculture Service reported. CBS News reported Thursday that President Donald Trump had paused tariffs on Mexican imports until April 2. China responded to new US … Read More

Overall economic activity rose slightly since mid-January, according to the Federal Reserve Bank’s Beige Book Wednesday, which outlines US economic activity eight times a year. Six districts reported no change, four reported modest or moderate growth, and two noted slight contractions, the Beige Book said. Consumer spending was lower, with reports of solid demand for … Read More

Shrinking cattle inventories lead to a wide range of effects on the multi-sectored cattle industry, including rising feeder prices and changes in price relationships that affect economic incentives of the various cattle production sectors. Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension livestock marketing specialist, said in a letter called In The Cattle Markets that as feeder … Read More

Kansas feedlots began 2025 closing out fewer fed steers in January than in either January 2024 or the previous five-year average, according to the Livestock Marketing Information Center in Denver. However, they marketed more fed heifers in January than in the same month last year or in the 2019-2023 average. The data came from a … Read More

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission reported Friday in its weekly Commitments of Traders report that large commodity investment firms continued to carve chunks off their collective net long live cattle futures position. At the same time, commercial traders continued to reduce their total net short live cattle position.   FUNDS SELL LONG POSITIONS   Those … Read More

Absent other important fundamental or technical factors, critical decision points in futures market tend to hinge on round numbers.  At the very least, such numbers often generate a lot of attention. The Mar live cattle contract broke through the $200.00-per-cwt barrier on Jan. 23, generating more attention as prices surged to a contract high of … Read More

Total red meat supplies in US freezers on Jan. 31 were up about 3% from the previous month but down about 6% from last year, said the monthly Cold Storage report from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service Wednesday. Total frozen poultry supplies on Jan. 31 were up about 5% from the previous month but … Read More