Key Points
- At least seven U.S. soybean shipments to China are underway or scheduled, marking a restart after a long pause.
- The activity follows a meeting between Trump and Xi, where China reportedly promised to buy large volumes.
- Beijing has not yet publicly confirmed the details of any purchase agreement.
- Overall sales to China remain well below pre-trade-war levels.
After months of a standstill caused by a tense trade war, U.S. crop shipments to China are finally picking up speed. At least six large cargo ships are scheduled to load up with American soybeans at Gulf Coast ports through mid-December. Another vessel has already been loaded and is on its way to China, the first such shipment since May.
The restart is welcome news for American farmers and grain traders who have been anxiously waiting for a breakthrough. The activity follows a meeting between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping in October.
The White House announced that Beijing had vowed to buy 12 million metric tons of soy by the end of the year, although Beijing has not officially confirmed this promise.
While Chinese importers did book nearly 2 million tons of U.S. soybeans last month, those purchases were for shipment in the distant 2025/26 season. Overall sales remain well below pre-trade-war levels. The long pause in Chinese buying had pushed soybean prices down to near five-year lows.
The Trump administration remains engaged in the issue. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said she expects a deal with China soon and announced that the government would unveil an aid package next week to help farmers hurt by low prices and trade disruptions.
Another positive sign: U.S. sorghum shipments to China have restarted for the first time since March, with two vessels currently loading or scheduled to load soon.
