China has bought at least 8 million tons of US soybeans this year, according to people familiar with the matter, putting the world\u2019s top importer on track to meet a pledge it made two months ago as part of an apparent trade truce with Washington.<\/p>\n
State-owned buyers have continued to book US cargoes into late December, the people said, asking not to be named as they are not authorized to discuss the purchases. That extends a buying spree that\u00a0began<\/a>\u00a0in October and maintains a pace that has reassured American exporters, otherwise wary that Beijing\u2019s commitment might slip amid limited visibility and unclear deadlines.<\/p>\n The shipments booked so far are mostly for loading between December and March, the people said.<\/p>\n The White House said\u00a0immediately<\/a>\u00a0after talks between President Donald Trump and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that China had pledged to buy at least 12 million tons of US soybeans by the end of this year. US officials later clarified the deadline was in fact the end of February. Beijing has not confirmed the commitment, but the Chinese government has moved to reduce\u00a0tariffs<\/a>\u00a0on the crop and lifted import bans on three American exporters.<\/p>\n The return of Chinese buyers is welcome news for US exporters, and a reminder that buying patterns can change fast \u2014 but it is not yet a full reset. Even as Beijing takes US shipments, state-owned firms have bought large quantities of beans from Brazil and Argentina, the people said. Commercial buyers in particular have stayed on the sidelines when it comes to US purchases.<\/p>\n Almost 80% of Brazil\u2019s soy went to China in 2025, with exports through November climbing 16% compared to the previous year. That trade continued in December, even in a period when sales are seasonally weaker, and Brazil\u2019s upcoming harvest is forecast to be a\u00a0record<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe cannot confirm from China\u2019s side that anything beyond the 12 million tons has been pledged,\u201d said Ben Buckner, grains and dairy analyst at AgResource Co. The brokerage wrote in a note this week that China was seeking shipments and could reach a \u201csoft target\u201d of 10 million tons in 2025, with an additional 2 million tons in January.<\/p>\n Without a formal deal confirmed by both sides, traders say uncertainty over future sales is reinforcing pressure on soybean prices. Futures in Chicago eased in the year\u2019s final trading session Wednesday, on track to decline about 7% in December, the worst monthly performance since July 2024.<\/p>\n Matt Bennett, an Illinois corn and soy farmer, said many farmers have been \u201cpleasantly surprised\u201d with the steady flow of purchases from China so far, but added there has been frustration with the direction of soybean prices.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom our vantage point, once you quantify that they\u2019re going to buy 12 million tons, you need something in excess of that to get everyone excited,\u201d Bennett, co-founder of farm advisory AgMarket.Net, said in a phone interview.\u00a0<\/p>\n Trump earlier this month announced\u00a0$12 billion<\/a>\u00a0in relief for US farmers, but growers are still waiting for the administration to provide details on how much they will get in payments promised by February.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Join us at the Fortune Workplace Innovation Summit <\/strong>May 19\u201320, 2026, in Atlanta. The next era of workplace innovation is here\u2014and the old playbook is being rewritten. At this exclusive, high-energy event, the world\u2019s most innovative leaders will convene to explore how AI, humanity, and strategy converge to redefine, again, the future of work. Register now<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n