CBOT soybeans end steady to firm on bigger-than-expected US crush

CHICAGO, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Chicago Board of Trade soybean futures ended steady to slightly higher on Wednesday as a stronger-than-anticipated September soy crush pace eased ongoing worries about trade tensions with top importer China.

• Trading has remained largely range-bound as an ongoing government shutdown deprived traders of crucial supply and demand data, making investors wary of making big moves in the market. A lack of Chinese purchases of newly harvested U.S. soybeans has also kept a lid on futures prices.

• CBOT November soybeans SX25 settled unchanged at $10.06-1/2 per bushel. Deferred-month contracts were up as much as 1-1/2 cents.

• CBOT December soymeal SMZ25 ended $1.60 higher at $275.90 per short ton while December soyoil BOZ25 rose 0.23 cent to end at 50.80 cents per pound.

• The National Oilseed Processors Association reported its members crushed 197.863 million bushels of soybeans in September, a record for the month and the fourth-largest for any month on record. The total topped all estimates in a Reuters poll of analysts.

• NOPA also reported lower month-on-month soyoil stocks despite the massive crush. The stocks draw, analysts said, implied strong soyoil demand from biofuels makers.

• Comments by U.S. President Donald Trump that he is considering banning imports of Chinese used cooking oil, a competing biofuel feedstock, lent further support to soyoil.