CHICAGO, April 18 (Reuters) - ICE (NYSE:ICE) Canada canola futures declined on Thursday with the front four contract hitting life-of-contract lows on technical selling and worries about exports to China, traders said.
* The market shrugged off support from scale-down buying, a slight upturn in allied U.S. soybean futures and a weaker Canadian dollar, which tends to make Canadian products more competitive globally.
* May canola RSK9 ended down $2.10 at $449.10 per tonne after setting a contract low at $447.90.
* July canola RSN9 settled down $1.50 at $457.20 per tonne after recording a contract low at $456, and November RSX9 ended down $1.60 at $468.80 per tonne after dipping to $467.70.
* Commodity funds continued to roll positions in the May RSK9 futures contract into forward months. The May-July spread traded 8,320 times between $7.30 and $8.10, premium July.
* Traders await Statistics Canada's April 24 report on principal field crops area.
* Chicago Board of Trade May soybeans SK9 settled up 1-1/2 U.S. cents at US$8.80-1/2 per bushel on positioning on Thursday after dropping to their lowest price since November, traders said. Paris Matif May rapeseed futures COMK9 rose 0.55 percent and Malaysian July palm oil futures 1FCPON9 fell 1 percent.
* The Canadian dollar fell against its U.S. counterpart as data showing a rise in Canadian retail sales was overshadowed by strong U.S. retail sales numbers that pointed to a relatively stronger U.S. economy. CAD/