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Soybeans

Soybeans
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Soybeans. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent speaks in the Oval Office of the White House in December. Photo: Getty Images
US-China relations

As Bessent tips next US-China trade talks, analysts see Trump-Xi meeting prep

Treasury Secretary Bessent confirms preparations for high-level dialogue, with analysts expecting a focus on specific transactional wins over a relationship reset.

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China consumption

China failed to hit 2025 soybean meal dependence target. US deal makes it harder

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China food security

China signals strong soybean imports – what does it mean for food security?

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US-China trade war

Trump sells tariffs as farmers’ win in Iowa, but many aren’t buying it

As US president courts rural voters before midterms, growers fear Beijing may retaliate against Trump policies by curbing purchases again.

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Arkansas soybean farmer Randall Shelby says renewed US-China tensions risk pushing already struggling growers deeper into the red. Photo: Randall Shelby
US-China relations

Bessent cites trade progress after meeting China’s He Lifeng in Davos

US Treasury chief says rare earths are flowing and China is buying soybeans as talks move towards an April Trump-Xi meeting.

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US-China relations

China buys two-thirds of pledged US soybeans as 2025 closes

Beijing has moved to reduce tariffs on the crop and lifted import bans on three US exporters after talks between Xi and Trump.

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China food security

Explainer | What does future hold for Brazil, US in China’s soybean balancing act?

The two countries remain top suppliers, but efforts to promote self-sufficiency are set to reduce reliance on imports.

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Soybeans are loaded into a truck in Dwight, Illinois, in August. Photo: Getty Images
Scott Bessent

Trump’s Treasury Secretary Bessent says he has divested his soybean farm

Move comes after a US ethics watchdog said that Bessent had not fully complied with his pledge to avoid potential conflicts of interest.

US-China relations

Soybean pain, Xi-Trump talks, ICE death, Hasan Piker: 7 US-China relations reads

From a US influencer’s China controversy to trade war updates, here are highlights from the SCMP’s overseas correspondents in November 2025.

China food security

‘Impossible to achieve’: why China can’t grow enough soybeans to feed itself

The shift from soybean exporter to world’s top buyer has reshaped global markets and forced Beijing to confront new security risks.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
US-China relations

US soybean futures rebound on signs China is ramping up purchases

Prices in Chicago rose as much as 3.2 per cent on Monday, a 17-month high, after Trump said China is in the process of buying soybeans.

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A combine harvests soybeans in Marion, Kentucky Photo: Getty Images / AFP
US-China relations

Opinion | In ‘soybean diplomacy’ with the US, China now holds the remote control

China, no longer reliant on US soybeans, has leverage: resuming purchases to calm tensions or cutting them when relations fray.

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US-China trade war

China signals soybean demand to spark ‘many deals’ with US – if prices are right

American farmers optimistic on visit to Shanghai, while commerce ministry official says market principles to guide Chinese purchases.

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China trade

Brazil-China trade heats up amid investment surge, export opportunities

Brazilian firms eye China expansion as Chinese investments are rapidly growing in the South American nation.

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Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva appears at last month’s opening of a BYD vehicle assembly line in Brazil. Photo: handout
China-Latin America relations

Brazil shrugs off US-China soybean deal as seasonal trade

Farmers say Beijing’s renewed US buys won’t upend Brazil’s exports, but tight credit and dry weather cloud outlook.

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Brazil sends roughly three-quarters of its soybean exports to China, worth nearly US$44 billion last year. Photo: AP
US-China trade war

China’s US soybean buys bring relief to farmers, but permanent deal elusive

While the Xi-Trump talks helped to end the soybean standstill, analysts said agriculture will remain one of many points of contention.

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US-China trade war

‘Positive step’: cautious relief as China resumes US soybean purchases

Farmers call the development ‘encouraging,’ but hope for lasting truce ahead of Xi-Trump talks.

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SCMP Highlights

US soybean farmers’ plea; death of leading AI scientist: SCMP daily highlights

From US farmers urging Trump to tone down rhetoric to Beijing denouncing UK’s sanctions on 11 companies, here’s a round-up from today’s coverage.

A combine harvester brings in soybeans on October 14 in Marion, Kentucky. Photo: Getty Images via AFP
US-China trade war

‘Partnership, not pressure’, US soybean farmers urge Trump before Xi talks

US farmers say Trump administration must tone down name-calling and aggressive tactics if they are to secure a lasting soy deal with China.

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My Take

My Take | A moral case for China to stop buying American soybeans permanently

Apart from persistently high state subsidies, labour exploitation, human trafficking and crime cartels also plague US agriculture and are reasons enough for Beijing to sanction the industry.

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United States

Trump and Modi’s tariff tango: Russian oil, soybeans and a delayed deal

India and the US near a breakthrough on slashing Trump-era duties, but elections and egos could impede the long-awaited trade pact.

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US President Donald Trump (right) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands as they attend a joint press conference at the White House on February 13, 2025. Photo: Reuters
US-China trade war

Video | China’s boycott of US soybeans

China made no soybean purchases from the US in September 2025 as it looked elsewhere for supplies, but American farmers continue to hope for a change of heart.

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SCMP
US-China trade war

China’s soybean imports surge as orders to US hit zero and American farmers fret

Zero soybean purchases from the US in September as China’s supply diversification continues, while American farmers hold out hope for a trade deal.

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SCMP Highlights

Trump’s cooking oil embargo threat, ‘red gift bag’ arrest: SCMP daily highlights

From US president calling China ‘economically hostile’ to scholars on how trade war could help Beijing, here’s a round-up from today’s coverage.

US-China trade war

Trump threatens China with cooking oil embargo over soybean snub

Trump administration threatens ‘terminating business with China’ in retaliation for Beijing still refusing to buy soybeans from US farmers.

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US President Donald Trump said his administration is considering “terminating business with China” in retaliation for Beijing refusing to buy US soybeans. Photo: AP
US-China trade war

‘Make China buy’: US soybean farmers, tired of trade war ‘blows’, push Trump to act

The US government has promised support for the industry – but farmers still fear missing out on huge Chinese market.

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US farmer inspects one of his soybean fields in Warren, Indiana, on September 11. Photo: AP
US-China trade war

Trump threatens to halt Chinese imports – but counts on Xi to buy US soybeans

Although Trump has sounded certain about meeting Xi later this month, the Chinese government has not made any official announcement yet.

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US-China trade war

Trump team presses unlikely buyers to snap up US soybeans

Since China stopped buying US soybeans, Donald Trump is pushing countries like India to boost purchases while weighing a multi-billion-dollar farm bailout.

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