SINGAPORE  - Chicago soybean futures lostground on Monday with the market dropping for two out of threesessions on pressure from slowing demand in China, the world'stop importer.

Wheat ticked lower following last session's strong gains butlosses were limited by rising demand for U.S. supplies.

The soybean market is expecting China to make largepurchases of U.S. beans, after trade truce between Washingtonand Beijing.

But U.S.-China trade negotiations need to reach a successfulend by March 1 or else new tariffs will be imposed, U.S. Trade

Representative Robert Lighthizer said on Sunday, clarifyingthere is a "hard deadline" after a week of seeming confusionamong President Donald Trump and his advisers.

The most-active soybean contract on the Chicago Board Of Trade was down 0.6 percent at $9.11-1/4 a bushel by 0237 GMT and corn lost 0.2 percent at $3.84-3/4 a bushel.

The market is monitoring the news about the arrest oftelecoms company Huawei Technologies' Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou that has raised concerns it could harm U.S.-Chinarelations.

China imported 5.38 million tonnes of soybeans in November,down 38 percent from a year ago and the lowest monthly amount intwo years, customs data showed on Saturday, after buyers avoided U.S. soybeans amid the tariff war.

Argentina' Rosario Grains Exchange said soybean exports toChina could jump to a record 14 million tonnes this season ifthe trade war continues.

Wheat was down 0.6 percent at $5.28-1/4 a bushel,having closed up 3 percent on Friday when prices climbed thehighest since Sept. 11 at $5.32 a bushel on strong demand.

"The last week of November saw U.S. wheat exports risesharply, and beyond what even the most optimistic forecasterguessing," said Tobin Gorey, director of agricultural strategy, Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

"We are, finally, seeing some signs that U.S. wheat isbenefiting from the more modest supplies elsewhere."

Wheat supplies in the Black Sea region, which has beengiving stiff competition in the global market, are expected todwindle early next year, giving an opportunity to U.S. exportersto sell.

(Reporting by Naveen Thukral; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier)

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