China's ambassador states US protectionism is undermining farm trade, with soybean exports down 51%, warning farmers bear the cost of the trade war as China shifts to Brazilian suppliers.

In June 2025, soybean imports to China amounted to approximately *** billion U.S. dollars, decreasing by around *** percent compared to the same period of the previous year. Despite the seasonal fluctuation in soybean imports, China remains the largest soybean importer in the world. Global top market for soybeans As a major oilseed and protein meal product, soybean is very important in the Chinese diet. Traditional food uses of soybeans include soy milk, tofu, and tofu skin. Soybean imports to China have been increasing. In 2024, more than *** million metric tons of soybeans were imported to China, over ten times as much as the import volume in 2000. The global soybean import volume amounted to around *** million metric tons in 2023/24. In addition, China’s domestic soybean oil demand reached around **** million metric tons in 2023. Brazil – China's largest soybean supplier Soybean is Brazil’s main export commodity. In 2023, Brazil held the top rank as China’s largest soybean supplier with a market share of about ** percent. The United States and Argentina were also among the top three soybean supplying countries to China. In 2023, Brazilian soybean exports to China amounted to around ** billion U.S. dollars. Soybean production in Brazil was forecasted to amount to over *** million metric tons in 2024, and it was expected to exceed *** million tons by 2033. Additionally, the harvesting area of soybeans was forecasted to exceed **** million hectares by then.

The United States is a major producer of soybeans worldwide, with China importing the largest amount of U.S. grown soybeans of any country as of 2021. In that year, China imported nearly 14.15 billion metric tons of soybeans from the United States.

Soy foods Soybeans are naturally high in protein and hence a popular ingredient in vegetarian and vegan cuisine. Soy milk is a vegan and lactose-free alternative to cow’s milk, and soy sauce features heavily in East Asian cuisine. Tofu, tempeh, and miso are also all derived from soy. In the United States, the market value of soy food is expected to reach 9.6 billion U.S. dollars by 2020, up from 4.6 billion dollars in 2014.

Soybean production in the United States The United States produces the highest volume of soybeans of any country, at around 120 million metric tons in 2020/2021. In the previous year, the total value of U.S. soybean production amounted to about 39.13 billion U.S. dollars. Within the United States, the states with the most soybean cultivation are located in the Midwest. Illinois topped the list with over 673 million bushels of soybeans produced in 2021.

An in-depth look at the severe crisis facing US soybean farmers as China halts all purchases, causing prices to plummet and threatening the stability of the entire agricultural sector.

U.S. soybean exports could fall by 20% amid ongoing trade tensions with China, affecting prices and market dynamics.

Soybean exports from Brazil to China amounted to **** billion U.S. dollars in 2023, an increase of around ** percent in comparison to the previous year. China is by far the leading destination for Brazilian soybean exports, accounting for nearly ************** of the export value.

United States Imports from China of Soybean oil and its fractions, not chemically modified was US$72.61 Thousand during 2024, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. United States Imports from China of Soybean oil and its fractions, not chemically modified - data, historical chart and statistics - was last updated on October of 2025.

In 2024, China's soybean import volume amounted to approximately *** million metric tons, representing an increase of about nine percent from ***** million metric tons in the previous year. Soybean is one of the most imported agricultural products in China.

The article details how US soybean farmers have become casualties in the Trump administration's trade war with China, with Chinese purchases dropping to zero and creating an agricultural crisis.

In 2024, Chinese exports of trade goods to the United States amounted to about 438.95 billion U.S. dollars; a significant increase from 1985 levels, when imports from China amounted to about 3.86 billion U.S. dollars. U.S. exports to China Compared to U.S. imports from China, the value of U.S. exports to China in 2020 amounted to 427.23billion U.S. dollars. China is the United States’ largest trading partner, while China was the United States third largest goods export market. Some of the leading exports to China in the agricultural sector included soybeans, cotton, and pork products. Texas was the leading state that exported to China in 2020 based on total value of goods exports, at 16.9 billion U.S. dollars. U.S. - China trade war The trade war between the United States and China is an economic conflict between two of the world’s largest national economies. It started in 2018 when U.S. President Donald Trump started putting tariffs and trade barriers on China, with the intent to get China to conform to Trump’s wishes. President Trump claimed that China has unfair trade businesses. As a result of this trade war, it has caused a lot of tension between the U.S. and China. Nearly half of American companies impacted by the U.S.-China trade tariffs said that the trade war increased their cost of manufacturing. The healthcare product industry has suffered the most from the trade war in regards to reduced profits.

In 2024, the total import value of soybeans in China amounted to approximately ***** billion U.S. dollars, down from around ***** billion U.S. dollars in the previous year. The total volume of soybeans imported to China amounted to around *** million metric tons in that year.

China Imports from United States was US$164.59 Billion during 2024, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. China Imports from United States - data, historical chart and statistics - was last updated on October of 2025.

This statistic shows the amount of soybeans exported from the U.S. between 2011/12 and 2023/24. For 2023/24, an export of just under two million bushels is forecast. This would constitute a slight decrease from the 1.99 million bushels exported in 2022/23.

China Imports from Brazil of Soybeans, whether or not broken was US$36.46 Billion during 2024, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. China Imports from Brazil of Soybeans, whether or not broken - data, historical chart and statistics - was last updated on September of 2025.

China's halt on US soybean purchases marks a strategic trade war tactic, leveraging its stockpiles to pressure negotiations, impacting US farmers and global markets.

United States Exports: 5-Digit: Soybeans data was reported at 12.259 USD bn in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 14.213 USD bn for 2016. United States Exports: 5-Digit: Soybeans data is updated yearly, averaging 5.689 USD bn from Dec 1998 (Median) to 2017, with 20 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 14.880 USD bn in 2012 and a record low of 0.028 USD mn in 2006. United States Exports: 5-Digit: Soybeans data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by US Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.JA078: Trade Statistics: China: Exports: FAS: End Use.

Soybeans fell to 1,006.75 USd/Bu on October 10, 2025, down 1.52% from the previous day. Over the past month, Soybeans's price has fallen 2.59%, but it is still 0.12% higher than a year ago, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity. Soybeans - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on October of 2025.

11999 United States import shipment records of Soy beans from Cn China with prices, volume & current Buyer’s suppliers relationships based on actual United States import trade database.

United States Imports from China of Soybeans, whether or not broken was US$2.5 Million during 2024, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. United States Imports from China of Soybeans, whether or not broken - data, historical chart and statistics - was last updated on September of 2025.

In 2024, Brazil was China's largest soybean supplier, with an import market share of about **** percent. The United States followed with a market share of ***** percent.