U.S. soybean exporters emphasize quality as Brazil holds 60% of China's market
American soybean groups are emphasizing crop quality to win back Chinese buyers after Brazil captured more than 60% of China's imports in the first five months of 2026, up from 40% a decade ago.
American soybean exporters presented quality arguments to Chinese buyers at a Beijing supply-chain event Tuesday, as Brazil held more than 60% of China's soybean imports in the first five months of 2026, compared with 23% from the United States and 10% from Argentina [1]. Carlos Salinas, executive director for East Asia at the U.S. Soybean Export Council, cited rainfall differences ahead of harvest—231 millimeters in a Brazilian city versus 72 millimeters in Illinois—as evidence that North American growing conditions produce higher-quality beans [1].
U.S. soybean exports to China fell 76% last year to $3.1 billion, down from a peak of $17.9 billion in 2022, with 7.37 million metric tons shipped [1]. Brazil's share began climbing in 2018 after the first round of U.S. tariffs on China; a decade earlier, the U.S. and Brazil each supplied roughly 40% of Chinese imports [1].
Continue reading
2 more paragraphs for subscribers.
Free readers get a daily preview and the weekly long-form. Premium unlocks every brief in full, AM & PM editions, alerts, and the archive.