June lean hog markets rise - CME
Cattle futures fall as dip in consumer demand feared
11 April 2025
2 minute read
By: Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) cattle futures weakened on Thursday, falling back alongside the equities market after following outside markets up the previous day on US President Donald Trump's announcement of a 90-day pause on many of the sweeping tariffs he ordered last week, reported Reuters.
CME June live cattle futures fell 3.175 cents to end at 195.200 cents per pound, while May feeder cattle futures FCK25 closed down 2.900 cents at 275.300 cents per pound.
Stock prices tumbled on Thursday as investors were shaken by fears that China may again retaliate with higher tariffs to match the latest levies imposed by the United States.
As Trump announced a 90-day tariff freeze on dozens of countries Wednesday, he also ratcheted up tariffs on goods from China, effectively to 145% after considering levies implemented earlier this year.
But China has been raising its tariffs on US imports with each Trump increase, causing concerns that it may push those tariffs up past the current 84%.
With trade hostilities heightening, so have worries about an economic downturn in the US, according to analysts.
The cattle market is highly dependent on the demand side of the market, said Don Roose, president of US Commodities. Equities markets rallying on Wednesday signaled the possibility of higher consumer demand for beef, which is already expensive. But, said Roose, "if the consumer is spooked, which he might be, demand is questionable."
In lean hogs, Roose said seasonal trends are positive from this point into summer, with lean hog futures tending to hit bottom this week historically and then rise into the warmer months as grilling becomes popular in the US.
In the lean hog market, June futures rose 1.475 cents to finish at 93.175 cents per pound.
The lean hog index price for the two days ending April 8 was $88.00. For the two days ending April 7, it was $88.16.
