U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday (October 1, 2025) that his upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping would primarily focus on the critical issue of soybean trade. This highly anticipated encounter is scheduled to take place in just four weeks.
In a recent statement on Truth Social, Mr. Trump asserted, “Our nation’s soybean farmers are suffering because China is, purely for negotiation tactics, not buying.”
During the ongoing trade dispute between Washington and Beijing, Chinese importers have notably abstained from purchasing U.S. soybeans from the autumn harvest. This lack of sales has resulted in billions of dollars in losses for American farmers.
The autumn season typically marks the peak marketing period for U.S. soybeans as new crops are brought in from the fields. However, China, being the world’s largest soybean importer, has instead diverted its demand towards South American suppliers, consequently depressing U.S. soybean prices.
Following a briefing on Tuesday (September 30, 2025) with U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue, North Dakota’s Republican Senator John Hoeven indicated that there appears to be no immediate timeline for China to resume purchasing U.S. soy.
Senator Hoeven remarked in an interview, “He did not suggest that sales are imminent. The conversation centered more on maintaining pressure until we secure sales, while simultaneously supporting our farmers.”
In his social media post, Mr. Trump reiterated his commitment to assisting farmers by utilizing funds generated from tariff revenues.
Last month, Mr. Trump confirmed that he and Mr. Xi had agreed during a phone call to hold a face-to-face meeting in South Korea. This discussion is intended to tackle the trade conflict that has created significant discord between the two nations. Their meeting is slated for the last week of October, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Gyeongju, South Korea.
Additionally, Mr. Trump revealed plans for a visit to China early next year, with Mr. Xi expected to travel to the United States at a later date.
Efforts to de-escalate trade tensions between the countries have fueled speculation that China might increase its agricultural purchases from the U.S. as part of a potential trade agreement with the Trump administration.
“Currently, they are sourcing from South America, using that as leverage in these trade negotiations,” Senator Hoeven explained.
It is worth noting that in 2020, during Mr. Trump’s first term, a trade deal was signed with China. This agreement included commitments for China to buy tens of billions of dollars worth of U.S. agricultural products and to enhance U.S. access to Chinese agriculture markets.
However, China ultimately did not meet its agreed-upon purchase targets under that deal, and has since continued to diversify its global food sources.
Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington, commented, “The core of China-U.S. economic and trade cooperation is mutual benefit and a win-win outcome. As a matter of principle, we expect the U.S. side to collaborate with China in implementing the important understandings reached by our heads of state during their recent phone call.”