China increases its imports of U.S. soybeans.
2026/01/24
According to Reuters, China is increasing its orders for U.S. soybeans. On January 6, China National Grain and Oils Information Center, a state-owned grain trader, reported that it had placed orders for 10 shipments of U.S. soybeans that week. The world’s largest buyer continues to source from the U.S. following the trade truce reached between the two countries at the end of October. Traders said the total volume of these shipments amounts to approximately 600,000 tons and are expected to be delivered between March and May 2026—precisely the peak shipping season for rival Brazil.
According to traders and analysts, China’s total purchases of the latest U.S. crop are estimated at 8.5 million tons, nearing 10 million tons.
This figure represents 80% of the 12 million tons that U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said China had pledged to purchase by the end of February.
According to a report released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on January 6, as of the end of the 2025/26 season on August 31, private-sector soybean exports to China totaled 336,000 tons, bringing China’s confirmed procurement volume since October to nearly 6.9 million tons. In addition, the USDA confirmed that approximately 3 million tons were sold to undisclosed buyers, a significant portion of which are believed to have been destined for China.
The report states that despite a domestic supply surplus caused by record-high imports from South America and weak demand, Beijing has still increased its purchases of U.S. soybeans.
Although U.S. soybean prices remain higher than those of newly harvested Brazilian soybeans, analysts cited in the report say that the price gap has narrowed due to the strengthening of the Brazilian currency and the weakening of the U.S. dollar.
