According to Bloomberg, on Wednesday (December 31), sources revealed that China had purchased at least 8 million tons of American soybeans within the year of 2025. The purchase of American soybeans was part of the trade truce agreement reached between China and the U.S.
In the fourth quarter of 2025, Chinese buyers were continuously placing orders for American soybean shipments. These individuals, who requested anonymity as discussions on the purchases were unauthorized, stated that the wave of Chinese buying of American soybeans had been proceeding at a steady pace, providing reassurance to American exporters. Previously, American exporters had been concerned about Beijing’s commitments potentially falling through due to unclear market prospects and uncertain deadlines.
The current orders are mostly scheduled to be shipped between December 2025 and March 2026. As per the U.S.-China economic and trade relations agreement released by the White House in early November, China pledged to purchase at least 12 million tons of American soybeans before the year-end. U.S. officials later clarified that the actual deadline was by the end of February 2026 (before the Chinese New Year).
At the same time, Beijing took measures to reduce tariffs on soybeans and lifted import bans on three American exporters. The return of Chinese buyers is undeniably good news for American exporters, but it also serves as a reminder that the purchasing patterns could change rapidly, indicating there is still a way to go before a complete reset is achieved.
Sources revealed that while Beijing began accepting American soybeans, Chinese enterprises also made substantial purchases of soybeans from Brazil and Argentina. Commercial buyers in China have been adopting a wait-and-see attitude towards buying American soybeans.
In 2025, nearly 80% of Brazil’s soybean exports were directed to China, with exports seeing a 16% year-on-year increase as of November. Despite the approaching lean sales season in December, this trade continues, with Brazil’s upcoming soybean harvest expected to set records.
Traders mentioned that the uncertainty regarding future sales due to China not yet officially confirming the agreement’s details is still putting pressure on soybean prices to some extent. Soybean futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange saw a decline on the last trading day of the year, dropping by around 7% for the month of December, marking the worst monthly performance since July 2024.
Matt Bennett, a corn and soybean farmer from Illinois, told Bloomberg that while many farmers are “pleasantly surprised” by the stable amount of soybean purchases by China so far, they are disappointed by the price trends of soybeans.
Earlier this month, Trump announced a $12 billion aid package for American farmers. Farmers are still waiting for the government to announce specific details.