Farmers are currently in an “untimely competitive disadvantage,” the organization says
The time is now for President Trump and his administration to repair the relationship with China.
That’s part of the message the American Soybean Association (ASA) recently sent to the president.
“The further into the autumn we get without reaching an agreement with China on soybeans, the worse the impacts will be on U.S. soybean farmers,” the group said in an Aug. 19 letter.
Last week on his Truth Social account, President Trump said he hoped China would quadruple its soybean orders as a way to reduce its trade deficit with the U.S.
China and the U.S. have traded tariff announcements since this February.
As of August, U.S. soybean exports to China face a 34 percent tariff.
This move is pushing Chinese buyers to consider South American soybeans instead.
Importers have secured about 8 million metric tons of soybeans for September 2025 from the region, Reuters reported.
China’s increasing reliance on South American soybeans is having negative effects on the U.S. soybean sector, the ASA said in a white paper.
“China’s absence from the new crop export market has dealt a heavy blow to U.S. soybean futures prices, especially as favorable U.S. growing conditions this summer will lead to above-trendline soybean yields to be produced in the 2025 crop year, which begins September 1,” the paper says. “Between July 18 and August 6, new crop November 2025 soybean futures fell from $10.3575/bu. to $9.845/bu. amid increased U.S. production expectations and lack of new crop export orders from China.”
That drop represents a 5 percent decline in three weeks.
These challenges are coming as the U.S. is experiencing increasing farm bankruptcies.
In the first quarter of 2025, for example, 259 farms filed for bankruptcy. That’s more than from the same time period last year, a study by the University of Arkansas says.
And the ASA is worried that more farmers may have to make similar decisions.
“U.S. soybean farmers cannot survive a prolonged trade dispute with our largest customer,” the group said in its letter. Mr. President, you have strongly supported farmers and farmers have strongly supported you. We need your help.”