China Imported No Soybeans From US Last Month

In September, China imported no soybeans from the United States for the first time in nearly seven years, Reuters reports. According to data from China’s General Administration of Customs, this marks the first month without American shipments since November 2018, highlighting ongoing trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies. A year ago, imports from the U.S. totaled 1.7 million metric tons, but analysts attribute the sharp decline to high tariffs. Experts speaking to the Washington Post say China is likely to maintain the freeze for the rest of the year to pressure the Trump administration on tariff reductions.

Meanwhile, China’s soybean purchases from South America surged. Brazilian shipments rose nearly 30% to 10.96 million tons, accounting for more than 85% of China’s total soybean imports for September. Imports from Argentina nearly doubled to 1.17 million tons. Overall, China imported 12.87 million metric tons of soybeans last month, the second-highest monthly total on record.

With no U.S. soybeans booked from this season’s harvest and the window for new deals closing, American farmers face billions in potential lost sales. Analysts caution, however, that China could face risks if trade talks remain stalled, with a potential supply gap emerging early in 2025 before Brazil’s next harvest. Despite the September freeze-out, U.S. soybeans still accounted for 16.8 million tons of China’s year-to-date imports—a more than 15% increase from last year—thanks to earlier purchases in 2025.

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