The volume was thin with some positioning ahead of the long holiday weekend. Markets will close early on Friday at 12:00 pm CST (1800 GMT) and remain closed on Monday. Trading will resume with the overnight electronic session overnight Monday and a full trading schedule is slated for Tuesday.
At 10:13 am CST (1613 GMT), CBOT soyaa was 7 cents per bushel lower to 1/4 higher, with January down 3/4 cent at $5.97 per bushel. March was down 3/4 at $6.08.
Pit sources said Calyon Financial was the main seller of 500 March.
Declines were limited by a solid export sales number for soyaa in USDA's weekly export sales report.
The soyaa sales were 7 percent above the previous week and 41 percent over the prior four-week average. Major increases were reported for China at 477,000 tonnes, including 58,000 tonnes switched from unknown destinations, according to the USDA.
Exports were quiet overnight and traders continue to focus on almost daily talk that China is seeking soyaa. Traders remained focused on weather patterns in South American soyaa growing areas.
Deliveries on the January contract on Friday totalled 930 lots, above trade expectations for 400 to 600.
Soyameal was $1.10 to $2.50 per ton lower, with January down $1.10 at $196.80 per ton. March was down $1.50 at $196.30.
Soyameal was finding pressure from the weaker soyaa futures. Traders had a neutral reaction to USDA's weekly export sales report. Soyaoil was 0.10 cent per lb lower to 0.06 higher, with January down 0.02 at 20.88 cents per lb. March was up 0.04 at 21.20 cents per lb.