China Begins Modest Purchases of U.S. Farm Products

Reports say that China has begun purchases of U.S. farm products in the wake of last week’s meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Under the deal the leaders made, China pledged to purchase at least 12 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans before the end of 2025 and a minimum of 25 MMT annually from 2026 through 2028.

That said, the purchasing that has begun has been described as “modest” so far.

News outlet Reuters reported that Chinese buyers have booked two cargoes of U.S. wheat, the first such purchases since October last year, two traders said on Thursday, while a sorghum shipment has been sent from the United States to China, a U.S. industry official said.

China is the top export market for U.S. farmers, but ongoing trade wars initiated by the Trump Administration have thrown the buying patterns into chaos. As of mid-2025, U.S. agricultural exports to China had fallen to $14 billion. The commitments announced last week, while welcomed, must translate into real shipments to make a meaningful impact on farm income.

“This is more of China showing commitment to buy U.S. grains as U.S. wheat is not the cheapest,” a Singapore-based grains trader with direct knowledge of the wheat deals told Reuters. “So it is more of political move to buy these cargoes.”

The deals to import U.S. agricultural goods come as Beijing confirmed on Wednesday that it suspended retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports, although shipments of U.S. soybeans still face a 13 percent tariff. China’s pledged soybean buys, however, if fully implemented, could translate into more than $30 billion in farm revenue over the next three years at current prices.

Earlier this week, the American Farm Bureau Federation responded to the deals, saying, “Farm Bureau is encouraged by China’s commitment to import soybean and sorghum from the United States. Trade disputes dealt a blow to farmers who have already been hit hard by high expenses and historically low commodity prices,” noted American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall.