Amid tariff talks between the US and China, President Donald Trump publicly called on China to sharply increase its purchases of American soybeans. Writing on Truth Social, Trump urged Beijing to “quadruple” import volumes, claiming it would help relieve China’s supply shortage and narrow the trade gap between the two largest economies. He also thanked President Xi Jinping in advance for “rapid service.”
After the tariff truce between Washington and Beijing technically expired on August 12, both the countries agreed to extend it by 90 days. China, the world’s largest soybean importer, is projected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) to import 106 million tonnes in 2025–26 to meet domestic demand of 124.4 million tonnes. Last year, China imported roughly 105 million metric tons of soybeans. Of that, 22.13 million tons came from the U.S., worth $12 billion.
Although China has diversified sourcing across 15 nations, Brazil and the United States remain its two primary suppliers. Brazil has steadily expanded its market share, benefiting from lower prices, while U.S. soy shipments have stagnated. Roughly a quarter of China’s imports come from the United States, and quadrupling that volume would entail an unprecedented dominance of U.S. supply.
Adding to the challenge, Chinese soybean demand growth is expected to slow as consumers shift from pork to poultry and fish, which require less feed. Under Trump’s earlier Phase One trade deal, China pledged to boost U.S. agricultural imports but never reached targeted levels.
This year, amid enduring trade tensions, China has not purchased any fourth-quarter U.S. soybeans, raising concern for the upcoming U.S. harvest season. Still, following Trump’s statement, soybean futures on the Chicago Board of Trade rose over 2% to $10.11 per bushel.