Reuters — German drugs and pesticides group Bayer has reached a deal with the U.S. Justice Department for antitrust approval for its US$62.5 billion bid to acquire Monsanto by agreeing to sell additional assets, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday. The Justice Department reached an agreement in principle with the two companies in recent days, […] Read more

Bayer gets U.S. approval to buy Monsanto: report

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle stumble on profit-taking
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle turned lower on Friday after profit-taking and fund liquidation gave back some of the market’s gains over the past two days, said traders. U.S. stocks’ plunge over trade war fears unnerved CME livestock investors still digesting Monday’s Chinese tariff hike on U.S. pork, with similar plans […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Fund buying sends CME live cattle higher
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle rose sharply for a second straight day on Thursday, driven by short covering and fund buying, said traders. Investors, for now, are focused more on what packers will pay for cattle in the near term than a potential trade war with China, a trader said. On […] Read more

Trump proposes US$100 billion more in new tariffs on China
Washington | Reuters — U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday he had instructed U.S. trade officials to consider US$100 billion in additional tariffs on China, fueling an already heated trade dispute between the world’s two biggest economies. Trump said in a statement the further tariffs were being considered “in light of China’s unfair retaliation” […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle shrug off China beef tariff news
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle closed higher on Wednesday, after bargain buying reversed earlier losses following China’s proposed tariff increase on U.S. beef, said traders. China listed beef and other U.S. goods that may incur a 25 per cent duty by the end of May if Washington makes good on threats […] Read more

U.S. livestock: More CME hog losses on China pork tariff hike
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hogs on Tuesday tumbled for a second straight day, dragged down by slumping cash hog prices and China’s additional 25 per cent tariff on U.S. pork imposed on Monday, said traders. The Chinese raised duties on pork, and more than 100 other U.S. products, after the U.S. […] Read more

Australia clears Saputo’s Murray Goulburn takeover
Reuters — Australia’s competition regulator on Wednesday approved a planned $1 billion takeover of the country’s largest dairy processor, Murray Goulburn Co-operative, by Canada’s Saputo. The deal, which Australia’s largest dairy processor says is key to its survival, was approved after Saputo agreed to sell a milk plant in Victoria state to address concerns from […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME hogs limit down on China pork tariff hike
Chicago | Reuters — Some deferred-month Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures settled down their three-cent-per-pound daily price limit on Monday after China raised tariffs on U.S. pork by another 25 per cent, said traders. Late on Sunday China announced higher duties on U.S. pork and over 100 other products that went into effect on […] Read more

China slaps tariffs on U.S. frozen pork, wine
Beijing | Reuters — China has slapped extra tariffs of up to 25 per cent on 128 U.S. products including frozen pork, as well as on wine and certain fruits and nuts, in response to U.S. duties on imports of aluminum and steel, China’s finance ministry said. The tariffs, to take effect on Monday, were […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME hogs end mixed on positioning before USDA report
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures settled mixed on Tuesday after investors adjusted positions before the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) quarterly hog report on Thursday, said traders. Analysts polled by Reuters, on average, estimated the U.S. hog inventory as of March 1 at 72.902 million head or 3.1 per cent […] Read more