CBOT corn ends lower as soybeans sag; USDA report awaited

CHICAGO, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Chicago Board of Trade corn futures closed lower on Monday on spillover weakness from soybeans and a lack of supportive news amid ample global grain supplies, traders said.

• CBOT March corn CH26 settled down 1 cent at $4.43-3/4 per bushel.

• Strong weekly export data underpinned the market. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported export inspections of U.S. corn in the latest week at 1,452,822 metric tons, topping a range of trade expectations for 1,200,000 to 1,450,000 tons. USDA/I

• In a backdated weekly report, the USDA reported net export sales of U.S. corn in the week to November 6 at 979,500 metric tons, below a range of trade estimates for 1,000,000 to 2,000,000 tons.

• Ahead of the USDA's monthly supply/demand report on Tuesday, analysts surveyed by Reuters on average expect the government to trim its forecasts of 2025/26 U.S. and global corn ending stocks.

• In preliminary "baseline" forecasts released on Friday, the USDA projected that U.S. farmers will reduce U.S. corn plantings in 2026 while expanding seedings of soybeans.

• Brazil's total corn production is set to reach 135.3 million metric tons in 2025/26, agribusiness consultancy AgRural said, down from a record 141.1 million tons reaped in the previous season.