CHICAGO: Chicago Board of Trade soyabean futures closed higher on Thursday as renewed purchases of the US oilseed from China offset tensions between the two countries. CBOT August soyabean futures settled up 7 cents at $9.06-1/4 per bushel, while November soyabean futures added 4-1/2 cents to $9.00 per bushel. CBOT December soyaoil ended down 0.16 cent at 30.36 cents per pound, while December soyameal added $3.70 to finish at $297.90 per ton.

Private exporters reported the sale of 132,000 tonnes of soyabeans to China, the US Department of Agriculture said on Thursday. Escalating tensions between the United States and China muted gains after Washington ordered Beijing to close its consulate in Houston amid accusations of spying. Weekly soyabean export sales totaled 2.666 million tonnes, the biggest weekly total since December 2018. Analysts' forecasts had ranged from 1.3 million to 2.7 million tonnes.