ASA Urges Progress on Soybean Trade Ahead of Trump-Xi Meeting

The American Soybean Association today sent a letter to President Donald Trump ahead of his upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, urging the administration to ensure China fulfills its soybean purchase commitments, address tariffs and other trade barriers, and prioritize a stable, long-term trading relationship that supports U.S. soybean farmers.

"Soybean farmers need consistency and predictability in one of our most important export markets, and we hope the upcoming meeting with President Xi delivers further progress toward that goal," said ASA President and Ohio soybean farmer Scott Metzger. "That means ensuring China fulfills its purchase commitments, addressing barriers that put U.S. soybeans at a competitive disadvantage, and working toward a durable trading relationship. We appreciate President Trump's continued attention to expanding markets for U.S. agriculture and the renewed purchases we are seeing as farmers head into harvest."

ASA's letter specifically expressed support for a U.S.-China Board of Trade that includes soybeans as a non-sensitive good, called for eliminating China's 10% retaliatory duty on U.S. soybeans, and asked the administration to ensure any future implementation of Section 301 port fees on Chinese ships does not disrupt or diminish U.S. export sales.

China committed to purchasing at least 25 million metric tons (MMT) of U.S. soybeans annually in 2026, 2027, and 2028, following a 12 MMT commitment for late 2025. ASA appreciates President Trump's efforts to achieve progress since the October 2025 U.S.-China trade summit and encourages the administration to build on that momentum during the upcoming meeting with President Xi.

The full letter is available here.