GRAINS-Soybeans edge higher as China buys more from US

CANBERRA, Nov 26 (Reuters) - Chicago soybean futures crept higher on Wednesday as traders told Reuters China had stepped up purchases of U.S. soybeans after a call between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.

However, prices remained below last week's 17-month high amid doubts that China will buy as much as U.S. officials say they will.

Wheat futures fell as Russian consultancy IKAR predicted that the country, the world's biggest wheat exporter, would follow this year's large crop with another big one in 2026.

Corn edged higher, with a sharp fall in exports from Ukraine providing some support.

The most-active soybean contract on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) Sv1 was up 0.2% at $11.26-3/4 a bushel at 0610 GMT after rising as high as $11.69-1/2 last week.

Market sources said China has bought at least 10 cargoes of U.S. soybeans since Trump and Xi spoke on Monday. Trump said he had pressed Xi to accelerate and increase Beijing's purchases of U.S. goods.

Those cargoes would add at least 600,000 metric tons to the nearly 2 million tons of Chinese purchases already confirmed by the U.S. government.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Tuesday Chinese purchases of American soybeans were "right on schedule", citing an agreement for China to buy 87.5 million metric tons over the next 3-1/2 years.

But China has not confirmed that it will buy the amounts that U.S. officials say, said a trader in Australia, adding that he expected Chinese purchases to fall short of expectations and for prices to fall.

"I think it's a bit of showmanship from Trump to keep the farmers on side," the trader said.

"U.S. beans are the most expensive China can buy. If Trump wants to ring them up every week we might get close to the numbers they've said," the trader said.

In other crops, CBOT wheat Wv1 fell 0.3% to $5.37-3/4 a bushel and corn Cv1 rose 0.1% to $4.38-3/4 a bushel.

The Chicago Board of Trade will close for the U.S. Thanksgiving Day holiday on Thursday.