Chicago soybeans set for first annual gain in three years; wheat, corn slide

Chicago soybean futures slipped on Wednesday but were set to log their first annual gain in three years, supported by China’s return to the U.S. market following a late-October trade truce, although ample global supplies capped the advance. Wheat and corn futures, meanwhile, were on track for a third consecutive year of declines, pressured by abundant supplies. The most-active soybean contract on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) was up 4.7% in 2025. Wheat had fallen 7% for the year, while corn was down 4.2%. For the day, as of 1145 GMT, corn was down 0.3% at $4.39-1/4 a bushel, wheat was 0.5% lower at $5.08 a bushel, and soybeans were down 0.4% at $10.58-1/4 a bushel. “Global grain and oilseed markets are stumbling through a pretty typical holiday period,” said Josh Lawrence, adviser at IKON Commodities in Sydney. “Outside influences such as the Black Sea conflict and whether a peace deal can be reached have remained the main feature of the markets.” The war in Ukraine ...