LINCOLN - China’s state-owned food processor COFCO reportedly purchased about 180,000 metric tons of U.S. soybeans ahead of a planned meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. This is the first major purchase by China since the start of the U.S. soy harvest. U.S. officials and lawmakers view it as a positive sign of progress in trade negotiations, with Brooke Rollins, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, calling the deal “strong deal-making” and “a positive step forward for our farmers.”

Despite the optimism, the purchase represents only a small fraction of the roughly 27 million metric tons of soybeans the U.S. exported to China in 2024. Some legislators remain cautious: for example, Chuck Grassley warned that while the transaction may signal momentum, meaningful relief for U.S. farmers will require a fuller reopening of the Chinese market, not just symbolic purchases.

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