Trump urges China to quadruple soybean purchases — but 4×0 still equals 0!

When 4×0 is still 0? This week, the US and China extended their trade truce by 90 days (until 10-Nov), keeping US tariffs on Chinese goods at 30%, and China’s at 10%.

Chart in the brand colours of IFCHOR GALBRAITHS showing weekly USDA soybean sales to China from 2023 to 2025. The yellow line representing 2025 indicates that sales have remained close to zero since May, despite ongoing China trade discussions. The chart also displays the 5-year historical range to provide context on seasonal patterns in soybean sales.

A day earlier, the US President urged China to “quadruple” US soybean purchases — though sales have stayed at 0 since May, with no new orders for the upcoming season.

Since spring, China has signalled a shift away from US soybeans, stockpiling soybean, and testing soymeal cargoes from Argentina. With South America offering cheaper supply, the trend may persist into 4Q’25.

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