Trump Wants China to Quadruple US Soybean Orders

President Donald Trump has said he hopes that China will dramatically increase its purchases of U.S. soybeans.

“China is worried about its shortage of soybeans,” the president wrote on Truth Social late on Aug. 10. “Our great farmers produce the most robust soybeans.

“I hope China will quickly quadruple its soybean orders. This is also a way of substantially reducing China’s Trade Deficit with the USA. Rapid service will be provided.”

Trump also thanked Chinese leader Xi Jinping in the post but did not provide a reason.

China, the world’s largest buyer of soybeans, has historically been the top market for U.S. soybean exports. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, China accounted for more than half of all U.S. soybean exports in the 2024–2025 marketing year.

However, in recent years, Brazil has steadily expanded its share of China’s soybean import market at the expense of the United States. A U.S. Agriculture Department report shows that in 2024, Brazil supplied 71 percent of China’s total soybean imports, while the share of U.S. beans continued to decline.

According to global shipping data tracker Kpler, China in June brought in 9.73 million metric tons of soybeans from Brazil, while shipments from the United States lagged at just 724,000 metric tons. Kpler also noted that China, for the first time since 2005, has not booked any soybean cargoes from the United States for the upcoming 2025–2026 marketing year, which begins in September.

Trump’s push comes as U.S. soy growers are weeks from their next harvest. They could face stiff competition from Brazil, where soybeans are cheaper because of the country’s abundant arable land and tropical climate, which allows for planting multiple crops throughout one growing season to generate more frequent revenue to cover land and input costs.

“As the Brazilian soybean harvest can begin in January, China may find itself in a position where it won’t need to import any U.S. soybeans for the 2025/26 marketing year,” Kpler stated.

Beijing’s tariff truce with Washington expires on Aug. 12. Although neither side has yet announced an extension, Beijing struck an optimistic tone following the latest round of talks in Stockholm in July, indicating that both sides could work toward extending the truce for another 90 days.

The agricultural sector has been a significant point of contention in the ongoing U.S.–China trade wars. During Trump’s first term, the two sides settled the conflict, with China committing to buying an additional $200 billion in U.S. goods and services over two years, including $80 billion in agricultural products. But an analysis from the Peterson Institute for International Economics found that China ultimately purchased more than 70 percent of the agreed-upon agricultural total.

The Chinese regime has long been concerned about the reliability of its soybean supply, which is a staple in the nation’s diet and crucial to the livestock industry. In recent months, China has increased its soybean imports from Brazil.