CBOT soybean futures hit new seven-week low as investors unwind positions

CHICAGO, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Chicago Board of Trade soybean futures dropped to a new seven-week low on Tuesday, as investors unwound some of their positions amid ongoing concerns about U.S. export demand and expectations for a bumper Brazilian harvest, market analysts said.

• Traders have been disappointed at the pace of Chinese purchases of U.S. soybeans since this autumn's trade talks between Washington and Beijing.

• CBOT January soybeans SF26 settled down 9 cents at $10.62-3/4 per bushel, the lowest since October 24.

• CBOT January soyoil BOF26 fell 1.12 cents to end at 48.36 cents per pound, while March soyoil BOH26 ended 1.10 cents lower at 48.91 cents per pound.

• Soymeal futures closed lower, with the most-active January SMF26 settling $1.10 lower at $302.40 per short ton.

• China's Sinograin will auction 550,000 metric tons of imported soybeans on December 19, its third auction this month, the state stockpiler said in a notice.

• In Argentina, oilseed workers called a 24-hour strike for next Thursday.

• News that U.S. unemployment in November was higher than analyst expectations, driven largely by the loss of government positions, also weighed on commodity markets, traders and market analysts said.

• However, traders said, the impact of the data was somewhat capped because the government shutdown prevented data collection for the October jobless rate.

• While the Labor Department's closely watched employment report on Tuesday showed the unemployment rate at more than a four-year high of 4.6% last month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics changed its methodology after the 43-day government shutdown prevented the collection of data from households.