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Soybeans

Soybeans
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Soybeans. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
President Xi Jinping holds a welcome ceremony for US President Donald Trump, who is on a state visit to China, outside the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing on May 14. Photo: Xinhua
2026 Xi-Trump summit

China, US agree to establish trade, investment councils after Xi-Trump summit

The world’s two biggest economies also agree to roll back tariffs, deepen investment and establish a new board to manage disputes.

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2026 Xi-Trump summit

Bought the farm? Details still fuzzy on scope of US-China agriculture deal

China economy

Outside In | Prepare for ‘China shock 3.0’ to the global food economy

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US-China trade war

US-China trade talks: what to expect as senior officials meet in Paris

Both sides have short-term incentives to maintain their ‘trade truce’ so they can focus on dealing with domestic issues, analysts say.

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US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, left, shakes hands with Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng during trade talks in Geneva, Switzerland, last year. The two officials are set to lead another round of talks in Paris this weekend. Photo: Reuters
US-China trade war

Trump’s tariff wars reshaped US-China trade – at what cost to American firms?

US exporters lost tens of billions of US dollars in sales to China in 2025, economist says.

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China food security

Explaining China’s 2026 rural blueprint

SCMP Plus annotates the No 1 document released by the Communist Party’s Central Committee and State Council setting out key rural policies for the year.

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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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US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent speaks in the Oval Office of the White House in December. Photo: Getty Images
China consumption

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

Beijing sees soybeans as the agricultural industry’s biggest vulnerability, while plans to cut their use in animal feed have little success.

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China food security

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

Beijing also vows broader agricultural opening while safeguarding domestic production and farmers.

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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 Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent attends the 56th annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters
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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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 Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Photo: AFP
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.

A crop scout collects soybean samples in the Midwestern US in August. American soybean farmers have been struggling for years due to various factors, but US President Donald Trump’s trade war has pushed many to breaking point. Photo: Reuters
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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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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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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Soybeans are harvested on the Warpup Farm in Warren, Indiana, on September 17. Photo: AP
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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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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A worker sorts imported soybeans at a processing facility in Binzhou, China, on March 6. Photo: Getty Images
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.

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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A crop scout collects soybean samples on a Midwest farm. File photo: Reuters
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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Soybeans are harvested on the Warpup Farm in Indiana, USA on September 17, 2025. Photo: AP
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-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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