1.   Analysts say declining prices for soymeal and soybean oil continue to drag down the price for raw soybeans.

2.   For many years, Brazil imposed taxes that made the export of raw soybeans less attractive than the export of soyoil and soymeal.

3.   He was a tofu maker, taking raw soybeans and processing them into the jellylike curd common to Japanese meals.

4.   Last September, however, the government lifted the taxes, leading to a surge in raw soybean exports and a drop in production of soybean products.

5.   Raw soybean exports, meanwhile, have increased, as soybean growers take advantage of an excise tax exemption on the unprocessed crop.

6.   Shares in soybean crushers also fell amid concern that a surge in raw soybean exports could leave soybean crushing plants idle in Brazil.

7.   Soybean exports also got a boost when the government lifted an excise tax on raw soybeans in November, making exporting more profitable.