Sunflower harvest continues to slowly move along in the US. In the past week, producers harvested an additional 149,000 acres pushing 2019 harvested acres to about 540,000 acres. This represents 44% of this year’s projected harvested acres and is behind the five-year average of 62%. Producers in Colorado, Kansas and Texas continue to make excellent harvest progress and are well ahead of the five-year average pace. In the Dakotas and Minnesota harvest remains behind the five-year average. Nearby prices continue to offer a premium and incentive to deliver to crush plants. On the CBoT traders still have lingering concerns about the overall state of U.S.-China trade negotiations. The two countries still hope to ink a partial trade deal next month but have yet to set a date or venue as they attempt to iron out some lingering disagreements. Both sides have said recently that at least a “partial” trade deal has been hammered out, but that doesn’t seem to be the case as negotiations continue with no end in sight. China has been reluctant to promise it would import a set amount of agricultural products after President Trump said last month Beijing would purchase $50 billion worth of goods. The President said that he would raise tariffs if a new deal isn’t agreed upon. Until a deal is announced the market will remain skeptical affecting price movement in the near term.