China continues US soybean push amid South American purchases
The renewed push for US oilseeds comes as Brazilian and Argentine suppliers typically dominate global agricultural trade.
CHINA – China’s soybean production is expected to drop slightly to 20.1 million tonnes in 2026/27 due to a smaller planted area, even as the country keeps buying American soybeans under the terms of an existing trade arrangement, according to a report from the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the US Department of Agriculture.
Chinese buyers purchased approximately 1 million tonnes of US soybeans during the week ending in early September, according to traders cited by Reuters, bringing purchases closer to the volume committed under the current US-China trade arrangement.
The latest buying includes shipments from the United States for the 2026/27 marketing year, which began on September 1.
China resumed US soybean purchases following the October 2025 meeting in Busan, South Korea, where a trade and economic deal was reached to suspend certain retaliatory measures.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) also confirmed sales of 340,000 tonnes of soybeans to China during the period, along with another 100,000 tonnes sold to destinations not identified.
The purchases come ahead of an anticipated meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump later in September, although trade sources and official sales notifications are reporting the agricultural transactions.
China’s renewed interest in US soybeans follows months in which South American suppliers played a major role in meeting Chinese demand.
Brazil remains the world’s largest soybean exporter, and Chinese importers have continued to secure Brazilian cargoes as availability from the region supports competitive pricing.
Reuters previously reported that China’s soybean imports reached a record level in 2025, driven largely by increased purchases from South America amid concerns over supply availability.
The shift between origins matters because China is the world’s largest soybean importer, and it uses the crop mainly for its livestock and feed industries and for vegetable oil production.
Historically, Brazil and the United States have been China’s dominant suppliers, and harvest timing, freight costs, prices, currency movements, and trade policy have often influenced purchasing patterns.
The renewed US purchases also follow a period of weaker American access to the Chinese market.
In the first half of 2026, China imported substantially less US soybean volume than the previous year, while Brazilian supplies gained importance.
Under the current trade arrangement, China committed to purchase at least 25 million tonnes of US soybeans annually through 2028.
Recent transactions therefore represent an important step toward fulfilling that commitment. However, the pace of purchases will depend on prices, Chinese demand and the relative availability of US and South American supplies.
For global soybean markets, simultaneous purchasing from both origins underscores China’s continuing importance as a demand center and the competition between the United States and South America for access to the world’s largest soybean-importing market.
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