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* CBOT December corn settled up 1-1/2 cents at $3.71-1/4 per bushel after paring gains toward the close.
* Market seeking direction as the harvest of the second-largest US corn crop winds down.
* Futures underpinned by strong demand from exporters as well as domestic end-users.
* The US Department of Agriculture's weekly export inspections and crop progress reports will be delayed until Tuesday due to Monday's observance of the Veterans Day holiday.
* Traders monitoring impact of potentially excessive weekend rains in portions of Argentina's crop belt.