Bloomberg’s Isis Almeida reported Tuesday that “US soybean farmers are near a ‘trade and financial precipice’ and cannot survive a prolonged trade war with China. That’s the warning from Caleb Ragland, president of the American Soybean Association. In a letter to President Donald Trump dated Tuesday, he urged the administration to reach a deal with China to remove duties and, if possible, include significant soybean purchases.”
“‘US soybean farmers cannot survive a prolonged trade dispute with our largest customer,’ he said,” according to Almeida’s reporting. “‘Soybean farmers are under extreme financial stress. Prices continue to drop and at the same time our farmers are paying significantly more for inputs and equipment.’”
“In an email statement to Bloomberg News, the White House said the president cares about farmers,” Almeida reported. “‘President Trump will continue to open markets and level the playing field for American farmers to ensure they can sell as many made-in-America products as possible,’ White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly wrote.”
Agri-Pulse’s Philip Brasher reported that Ragland’s “letter was accompanied by an 11-page white paper laying out the export situation facing soybean growers. …The letter and white paper note that the Chinese duty on U.S. soybeans is 20% higher than the tariff on South American soybeans, keeping the U.S. crop ‘prohibitively expensive.’”
“China has not purchased any U.S. soybeans for the months ahead as we quickly approach harvest. The further into the autumn we get without reaching an agreement with China on soybeans, the worse the impacts will be on U.S. soybean farmers,’ the letter says,” according to Brasher’s reporting.
“The white paper notes that at this time of the year China has normally ordered about 14% of its expected purchases of U.S. soybeans. Going into the 2022 harvest, China had ordered 27% of its purchases,” Brasher reported. “‘China imported record volumes of Brazilian soybeans between April and July 2025, growing domestic stockpiles of soymeal to the point at which Chinese soybean processors are facing negative margins,’ the white paper says. ‘In early August 2025, traders announced a first-time export sale of Argentine soymeal to China to be delivered this fall to reassure Chinese feed mill buyers anxious about hog feed availability amid the ongoing trade dispute.’”
“Overall, export sales of this fall’s (U.S.) soybean crop are down 81% from the five-year average,” Brasher reported.
Today, ASA President Caleb Ragland sent a letter to President Trump urging swift action to resolve the U.S.–China #trade dispute. Soybean #farmers cannot weather another prolonged trade war. https://t.co/DGYBaoyN7w #Soybeans #Tariffs #AgPolicy @WhiteHouse pic.twitter.com/3APnczjZk0
— American Soybean Association (@ASA_Soybeans) August 19, 2025
Reuters Leah Douglas reported that “China’s turn to Brazilian soybeans could cost U.S. farmers billions. China bought 54% of U.S. soybean exports in the 2023-2024 marketing year, worth $13.2 billion, according to the ASA. Soybean prices jumped after an August 11 post from Trump on Truth Social urging China to quadruple its soybean purchases. However, farmers said they doubted such a large increase was possible.”
Lack of Chinese Demand to Slow Grain Movement in U.S.
Brownfield’s Carah Hart reported that “a market analyst says a lack of demand of U.S. soybeans from China is going to slow down grain movement in the Northern Plains this fall.”
“Randy Martinson is with Martinson Ag Risk Management, based in Fargo. He tells Brownfield some grain elevators in North Dakota are telling farmers they won’t be able to deliver new crop soybeans at harvest,” Hart reported. “‘There’s going to be more than half the (soybean) crop that will have to go through the elevator system somehow. Either wait for crush plants to use them or wait until there’s export business.’”
“Martinson says the farmers that have on-farm storage will delay corn harvest or use bags to store the corn, prioritizing on-farm bin space for soybeans,” Hart reported. “Martinson says this will also affect grain movement in Minnesota and South Dakota.”
