Soybean Growers Encouraged by China Sales, but Need Second Aid Payment

The American Soybean Association (ASA) is encouraged by news this week that buyers in China have made purchases of U.S. soybeans. U.S. soybean sales to China were suspended earlier this year as trade relations between the countries faltered under the current tariff war.

 

Davie Stephens, ASA President and a grower from Clinton, Ky., said, “This is positive news for our growers and for U.S-China trade relations. American soybean farmers prosper when they have access to international markets, and our trade relationship with China is critically important to our industry.”

 

The ASA leader continued, “The news of resumed sales represents a positive step under the current 90-day agreement to suspend new tariffs and negotiate on trade issues agreed to by President Trump and President Xi. Beyond yesterday’s sale announcement, it is vital that this 90-day process result in lifting the current 25 percent tariff that China continues to impose on U.S. soybean imports. Without removal of this tariff, it is improbable that sales of U.S. soybeans to China can be sustained.”

 

While ASA is hopeful that soy farmers will be able to resume delivery of high-quality soy to China, Tuesday’s sale announcement is only the first step in rebuilding soybean exports to China and will not fix the prolonged period of low prices soybean farmers have faced since the trade war began. Stephens said the roughly $2.00 drop in soybean prices experienced since last May continues to harm soybean farmers.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.