The American Soybean Association (ASA) has sent a letter to President Donald Trump ahead of his forthcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, urging the administration to make sure China fulfils its soybean purchase commitments, to address tariffs and other barriers, and to aim for a stable, long-term trading relationship.

China committed to buying at least 25 million metric tonnes of US soybeans a year in 2026, 2027 and 2028, after a 12 million-tonne pledge for late 2025 that followed the October 2025 US-China trade summit. ASA says it wants the administration to build on that progress at the coming meeting.

"Soybean farmers need consistency and predictability in one of our most important export markets," said ASA president Scott Metzger, an Ohio soybean farmer. He welcomed the renewed Chinese purchases farmers are seeing as harvest begins, but said a durable relationship also means removing the barriers that put US soybeans at a competitive disadvantage.

The letter makes three specific requests: support for a US-China Board of Trade that classifies soybeans as a non-sensitive good; elimination of China's 10 percent retaliatory duty on US soybeans; and an assurance that any future Section 301 port fees on Chinese ships do not disrupt or shrink US export sales.

China is the world's largest soybean importer and for years was the top destination for the US crop, so the size and timing of its purchases weigh heavily on prices at US country elevators during harvest.

Source: Morning Ag Clips