Soybeans, one of the state’s top five cash crops, are again caught up in the most recent maneuver in the trade war with China, ahead of a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Earlier this month, news reports suggest that China halting US imports of soybeans is a relatively easy and risk-free way to apply pressure on the Trump administration.
However, in the current marketing year, which started on Sept. 1, China has not placed any orders for new-crop soybeans, Charles Hall, executive director of the North Carolina Soybean Association, told the Carolina Journal in a recent interview.
Additionally, China began cutting back on imports of US soybeans after “Liberation Day” in April. Soybeans dropped significantly from 72,000 tons the week of April 10 to only 1,800 tons the week of April 24, reported the Wall Street Journal. Earlier this year, Trump raised the tariff on Chinese goods to 84% and later to 145%. This sparked a retaliation, with China increasing the tariff on US exports to 125%.
According to a recent report from the Washington Post, Trump has referred to China’s boycott of soybeans as “an economically hostile act” and indicated, that in response, the US was considering terminating imports of cooking oil to the US.
Experts say that China is prepared to extend the freeze through the end of the year, according to the Washington Post. China far outpaces any other country in its consumption of soybeans; however, it produces less than one-fifth of what it needs. The US has been one of China’s top suppliers of soybeans. China accounted for $12.6 billion, or approximately half of the US’s soybean exports, in 2024.
“American farmers feed the world,” Kelly Lester, policy analyst for the John Locke Foundation, told the Carolina Journal. “They deserve policies that reward their productivity, not punish it. Using them as leverage in trade negotiations is more than bad economics — it’s a moral failure. If Washington truly wants to support US agriculture, it should focus on restoring access to international markets, reducing regulatory burdens, and promoting open trade.”
In an email to the Carolina Journal, Hall recently stated that he did not believe North Carolina farmers are being used as bargaining chips.
“We’ve been open for business all along,” said Hall. “The entire US soybean industry, which is valued at $124 billion and includes farmers, handlers, processors, and shippers, has never withdrawn the offer to sell soybeans to China or any other trading partner.”
The soybean industry contributes $2.4 billion to the state economy, according to Hall. Business is being conducted every day. The entire value chain, from farmers and grain dealers to processors and feed mills, remains fully operational. North Carolina continues to export soybeans to overseas customers, including those in Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia.
“We do hope that US trade negotiators include soybeans on the agenda as early as next week, when Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent meets Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Malaysia. And certainly, we hope that President Trump includes soybeans among the agenda items when he meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping,” continued HaIl.
“I recognize that there are unknowns,” he concluded. “How quickly can Brazil bring new land into cultivation to take advantage of this situation? How long can China hold its breath? Eventually, China will have to breathe.”
While Trump is still expected to meet with Xi Jinping later this month, Trump also told Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, during a meeting on Oct. 20, that he plans to visit China early in 2026, according to a CBS News report.
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