China’s Soybean Shift Hits U.S. Farm Exports

Soybeans may not be the most dominant crop across the Southeast, but they are an important commodity to watch all the same, and the latest story centers on China. According to a recent American Farm Bureau Market Intel Report, U.S. soybean exports to China totaled just 218 million bushels from January through August 2025. That is a steep drop from 985 million bushels last year, when China bought about half of all U.S. soybean exports.

At the same time, Brazil shipped about 2.5 billion bushels to China, showing how South America has stepped in to dominate the market. China’s overall soybean imports are hitting record highs, but most of that demand is now being met by competitors instead of the United States.

The report notes that without reliable access to key markets, U.S. farm products risk piling up at home, putting downward pressure on prices and tightening margins. USDA’s latest forecast underscores the challenge, projecting cash receipts from crop sales to fall 2.5% from $242.7 billion in 2024 to $236.6 billion in 2025, the lowest level since 2007.

For a link to the full Market Intel Report, visit https://www.fb.org/market-intel/agricultural-trade-china-steps-back-from-u-s-soybeans