CIF/FOB Gulf Grain-Corn barge basis steady-higher on good demand, soy bids mixed

CHICAGO, April 17 (Reuters) - Spot basis bids for corn shipped by barge to U.S. Gulf Coast terminals were mostly unchanged to firmer on Friday, supported by steady demand from exporters and sluggish farmer sales, traders said.

• Soybean basis bids were narrowly mixed as near-term export demand remained seasonally light, with Brazilian shipments of newly harvested soy ramping up. Deferred bids were firm.

• Volatile markets amid fast-moving news about war in the Middle East kept a lid on importer demand. Energy prices, a significant cost for overseas grain shipments, plunged on Friday after soaring to multi-year highs last month.

• Traders are looking ahead to a mid-May U.S.-China summit and any potential commodity purchasing agreements by Beijing.

• At the Gulf, CIF corn barges loaded in April were bid at 96 cents over CBOT May futures CK26, steady with trades a day earlier. May corn barges traded a penny higher at 94 cents over futures.

• FOB corn vessels loaded at the Gulf in May were offered steady at around 105 cents over futures.

• CIF Gulf soybean barges loaded in April were bid at 90 cents over CBOT May SK26 futures, down a penny from a day earlier. May soybean barge bids were unchanged at 94 cents over futures.

• FOB export premiums for May soybean vessels at the Gulf were flat at around 100 cents over futures.

For displays of CIF basis, click on the codes in brackets:

U.S. CIF Gulf soybeans GRYM

U.S. CIF Gulf corn GRYN

U.S. CIF Gulf SRW wheat GRYO

U.S. CIF Gulf HRW wheat GRYP

For displays of FOB basis, please click on the following codes in brackets:

U.S. FOB Gulf corn GRZC

U.S. FOB Gulf soybeans GRZD

U.S. FOB Gulf SRW wheat GRZE

U.S. FOB Gulf HRW wheat GRZF

LINKS

Corn prices page: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageid=corn-cash-market

Wheat prices page: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageid=wheat-cash-market

U.S. barge freight BG/US

U.S. export sales estimates USDA/EST

U.S. grain export summary GRA/U

Brazil soybean export prices SYBS

Brazil corn export prices SYBX

Argentina grain prices GRA/ARG

Russia grain prices GRA/RU