American farmers are struggling to cope with the fallout from President Trump’s trade war; Trump stated on Wednesday that he intends to urge China to purchase U.S. soybeans during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: “Our soybean farmers are suffering losses because China is not buying U.S. soybeans just for the sake of ‘negotiations.’”
He added, “I will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in four weeks, and soybeans will be a key topic of discussion between our two sides.”
China is the world’s largest soybean buyer, and the United States was once the primary supplier of soybeans to the world’s second-largest economy.
However, Caleb Lagran, president of the U.S. Soybean Association, stated last week: “U.S. soybean exports to China for the new crop year are at zero due to China imposing a 20% retaliatory tariff in response to U.S. tariffs.”
He added in a statement: “This has allowed other exporters, including Brazil and now Argentina, to capture our market share, directly harming the interests of U.S. farmers.”
AFP reported that Trump stated last month he would meet with Xi Jinping during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea at the end of October. He also indicated he would visit China next year.
Trump’s aggressive trade policies and their consequences have pressured U.S. farmers, including by damaging export markets like China.
The American Soybean Association (ASA) urged Trump to prioritize soybean issues in trade negotiations with Beijing.
