As US President Donald Trump travels to Beijing for a summit this week with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, American soybean farmers are in a now-familiar spot: Fields are getting planted when demand from their biggest customer is uncertain.
Politics Facebook X LinkedIn Email Link Gift Expand A combine harvester during a soybean harvest on a farm near Gregory, Arkansas.
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Send a tip to our reporters Site feedback: Take our Survey New Window Facebook X LinkedIn Email Link Gift By Michael Hirtzer , Erin Ailworth , and Hallie Gu May 12, 2026 at 3:30 PM UTC Updated on May 12, 2026 at 7:28 PM UTC Bookmark Save As US President Donald Trump travels to Beijing for a summit this week with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping , American soybean farmers are in a now-familiar spot: Fields are getting planted when demand from their biggest customer is uncertain.
China met an initial pledge from late last year to buy 12 million metric tons of soy, part of a trade truce between the nations that revived flows stalled for months. Fresh purchases have since gone quiet, just as the war in Iran sends fertilizer prices surging, adding to the strain on growers’ margins.
