SMAC Markets

Daily Wheat Report

CBOT SRW Sep
682-6
+2-4 (+0.37%)
KC HRW Sep
762-2
+0-2 (+0.03%)
MIAX Spring Sep
700.75
+6.75 (+0.97%)
Matif Sep
227.25
+0.0 (+0.0%)
ASX Sep
343.70
-2.3 (-0.66%)

The Market in 20 Seconds

Key Driver
Importers switching origins
Watch
Asian mills' 2-2.5 MMT of Black Sea bookings at risk
Sam's Take

The switching is underway. Sudan taking French wheat for the first time in 18 years is telling - when a typically Russian wheat stronghold books French wheat as an alternative, the trade is no longer waiting for the truce. Asian mills sitting on 2.0-2.5 MMT of booked Black Sea cargo that may not arrive is the next domino.

Physical Wheat Prices

as of Tuesday 18 August
OriginGrade FOB ($/mt)W/W DestFreightCFR
Romania/Bulgaria11.5% $265+17 Indonesia$45$310
AustraliaAPW1 (VIC/SA) $288+3 Indonesia$32$320
USASWW (PNW) $269+9 Indonesia$49$318
Argentina11% Indonesia$310

Market Commentary

Wheat Firms as Importers Start Shopping Elsewhere

Futures

Futures. Wheat closed mostly higher on Thursday. CBOT SRW Sep settled 682-6, +2-4 (+0.37%), with Dec 700-0, +2-4 (+0.36%). KC HRW was fractionally mixed, Sep 762-2, +0-2 (+0.03%). MIAX Spring Wheat led, Sep 700-6, +6-6 (+0.97%). Matif Dec settled 241.00, +4.25 (+1.80%), a four-week high.

Black Sea

Black Sea. Asian mills have 2.0-2.5 MMT of Black Sea wheat booked for July-September arrival, 30-50% of their import demand, and traders told Reuters several shipments may not arrive on time. A ship is set to load 67,000 tonnes of French wheat for Sudan, the first such cargo in 18 years and likely a switch out of Russian origin. Jordan cancelled four tenders on thin offers. SovEcon has Russian Black Sea and Azov export capacity cut from 3.3 MMT a month to about 250,000 tonnes through Tuapse alone. "It's worse for the wheat market than Hormuz was for crude," Sizov told the FT, adding he expects July's three-year high to be surpassed. Ukraine has shipped only about 500,000 tonnes since August 1, a fifth of its potential.

Export Sales

Export Sales. Weekly US sales came in at 393,655 MT for the week ending August 13, the third highest of the marketing year but still 24% below the same week last year. Mexico led at 105,000 MT, with Taiwan taking 97,200 MT. IGC trimmed 2026/27 world production 4 MMT to 817 MMT and stocks 4 MMT to 275 MMT.

Hormuz/Energy

Hormuz/Energy. Crude heads for a near 6% weekly gain, with WTI above $86 and Brent closing near $94 after five straight sessions higher. Trump is calling Monday's planned Iran sanctions package an "economic D-day," with measures that could ensnare China. Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries are further tightening global diesel.

Australia

Australia. BOM's eight-day outlook (Aug 21-28) holds another 15-50mm for the southern cropping belt, with the north again missing out.

Tender Tracker

DateBuyerQty PriceShipmentStatus Result / Origin
Aug 12 Philippines~150kt $285–286 FOB / $309–310 CFROct-Dec Awarded Australia · Feed wheat

Three positions of Australian feed wheat sold on August 12, totalling around 150,000 MT, for shipment to the Philippines.

Shipments spread across October, November and December.

Prices around $285–286/MT FOB, equating to approximately $309–310/MT CFR Philippines.

Aug 7 South Korea MFG~134kt ~$271.49 c&f~Dec 10–20 Awarded S. America/S. Africa · Feed corn

South Korean MFG bought around 134,000 MT of feed corn on August 7.

Origin: South America or South Africa. Two lots at approximately $271.49/MT C&F plus $1.50/MT surcharge for extra unloading.

Sellers were Cargill and ADM. Arrival estimated around December 10 and December 20.

Aug 7 Tunisia50kt $278.50 c&f (lowest) Cancelled — · Feed corn

Tunisia's 50,000 MT feed corn tender was cancelled on August 7.

Lowest offer was from Cargill at $278.50/MT C&F.

A new tender is expected to be issued next week.

Aug 6 South Korean Milling Group36.8kt $261–320 FOBDec 20–Jan 20 Awarded U.S. · SWW / HRW / DNS

South Korean milling group bought 36,800 MT of U.S. milling wheat via tender on August 6.

Three lots: 13,000 MT SWW 9.5–11% protein at $261.35/MT FOB, 13,500 MT HRW min 11.5% protein at $319.25/MT FOB, and 10,300 MT DNS min 14% protein at $320.36/MT FOB.

Shipment: Dec 20, 2026 – Jan 20, 2027. Seller believed to be United Grain Corporation.

This purchase is additional to around 50,000 MT bought by another Korean milling group earlier this week.

Aug 6 Algeria OAIC~720kt $289–290 c&fSep-Oct Awarded Rom/Bulg · Milling wheat

Algeria's state grains agency OAIC bought around 540,000–720,000 metric tons of milling wheat in an international tender which closed Wednesday.

Purchases were reported at around $289–$290/t c&f. The wheat can be sourced from optional origins but traders expected Romania and Bulgaria to be major suppliers.

Russian wheat was offered but not favoured despite cheap prices, apparently because of concern about the impact of recent attacks on Russian shipping and ports.

Shipment in three periods: Sep 15–30, Oct 1–15, Oct 16–31. If sourced from South America, India or Australia, shipment is one month earlier.

In its last soft wheat tender on June 17, Algeria bought over 800,000 tons at around $264–$265/t c&f.

Aug 4 Jordan Not revealedSep-Oct Cancelled — · Milling wheat

Jordan wheat tender on August 4 attracted only 2 participants: Bunge and Aston.

Tender was cancelled — envelopes were opened but prices were not revealed.

New wheat tender issued Tuesday August 11 for shipment: FH/LH September and/or FH/LH October 2026.

What's Ahead

Week of Aug 17 – 21, 2026
Mon 17
USDA Export Inspections
US Crop Progress
Tue 18
Wed 19
Thu 20
US Weekly Export Sales
Fri 21
CFTC COT Positioning

Charts

CBOT SRW Wheat — Sep 2026 (ZWU6)
KC HRW — Sep 2026 (KEU6)
KC — Chicago Spread (KE vs ZW)

Settlement Prices

ContractSettleChange% Change
Sep 26 (ZWU26)682-6+2-4+0.37%
Dec 26 (ZWZ26)700-0+2-4+0.36%
Mar 27 (ZWH27)717-2+2-4+0.35%
May 27 (ZWK27)724-6+2-2+0.31%
Jul 27 (ZWN27)723-0+1-4+0.21%
Sep 27 (ZWU27)729-0+1-0+0.14%
Dec 27 (ZWZ27)740-0+0-2+0.03%
ContractSettleChange% Change
Sep 26 (KEU26)762-2+0-2+0.03%
Dec 26 (KEZ26)776-4-0-2-0.03%
Mar 27 (KEH27)790-0+0-0+0.0%
May 27 (KEK27)794-4+0-2+0.03%
Jul 27 (KEN27)789-2-0-4-0.06%
Sep 27 (KEU27)791-6-1-0-0.13%
Dec 27 (KEZ27)799-2-1-0-0.12%
ContractSettleChange% Change
Sep 26 (MWEU26)700.75+6.75+0.97%
Dec 26 (MWEZ26)727.75+7.5+1.04%
Mar 27 (MWEH27)745.75+7.5+1.02%
May 27 (MWEK27)757.25+8.25+1.1%
Jul 27 (MWEN27)763.25+8.5+1.13%
Sep 27 (MWEU27)755.0+9.0+1.21%
Dec 27 (MWEZ27)757.5+7.5+1.0%
SpreadOpenHighLowCloseVolume

International Markets — Matif & ASX

Matif Milling Wheat (Paris)
ContractSettle (€/t)Change% Change
MLU26 — Sep 26227.25+0.00+0.00%
MLZ26 — Dec 26241.00+4.25+1.80%
MLH27 — Mar 27241.50+3.00+1.26%
MLK27 — May 27243.00+2.25+0.93%
MLU27 — Sep 27233.75+0.00+0.00%
MLZ27 — Dec 27238.50-0.25-0.10%

€/t  |  Euronext Paris

ASX Wheat (Sydney)
ContractSettle (AUD/t)Change% Change
X9U26 — Sep 26343.70-2.30-0.66%
X9F27 — Jan 27360.50+0.50+0.14%
X9H27 — Mar 27363.50unchunch
X9K27 — May 27370.00unchunch

AUD/t  |  ASX  |  Front months not yet trading

Managed Money (Funds) — Net Positions

CFTC Disaggregated COT · Options & Futures Combined · As of August 11, 2026

Contract Long Short Net Position Chg (wk)
Wheat SRW (CBOT) OI 581,798 76,151 107,552 -31,401 -7,616
Wheat HRW (CBOT) OI 345,187 64,530 36,868 +27,662 -5,432
Wheat (MIAX) OI 83,612 17,591 7,712 +9,879 +1,013
Soybeans (CBOT) OI 1,203,233 164,515 63,153 +101,362 -24,104
Corn (CBOT) OI 2,268,704 333,335 166,565 +166,770 -15,176