* CBOT March corn settled down 6 cents at $6.76-1/4 per
bushel.
* The dollar firmed, in theory making U.S. grains
less
attractive globally, on worries that resilience in the U.S.
economy could encourage more interest rate hikes by Federal
Reserve in the months ahead.
* The U.S. Energy Information Administration said weekly
production of corn-based ethanol rose in the latest week to
1.014 million barrels per day, while stockpiles rose to 25.339
million barrels, the highest in 10 months.
* Corn followed as crude oil futures sagged in
response to
a bigger-than-expected U.S. weekly crude stock build. Corn
sometimes follows trends in crude oil due to its role as the
main U.S. feedstock for ethanol fuel.
* Traders shrugged off support from fresh export sales. The
U.S.
Department of Agriculture confirmed private sales of 213,370
tonnes of U.S. corn to Mexico for delivery in the 2022/23
marketing year that began Sept, 1, 2022.
* Ahead of the USDA's weekly export sales report on Thursday, traders expected the government to report export sales of U.S. corn in the week ended Feb. 9 at 600,000 to 1.4 million tonnes (old and new crop years combined). (Reporting by Julie Ingwersen; editing by Deepa Babington)
Messaging: julie.ingwersen.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))