China Halts U.S. Soybean Imports Amid Trade Dispute, Boosts Purchases from Brazil and Argentina

China imported no soybeans from the United States in September, marking the first time since November 2018 that shipments from the U.S. fell to zero. The decline comes as the ongoing trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies continue to weigh on agricultural exports. According to China’s General Administration of Customs, imports from the U.S. dropped from 1.7 million metric tons a year earlier to none, largely due to steep tariffs and a shift toward South American suppliers.

Analysts attribute the drop primarily to China’s high import tariffs on American soybeans and the exhaustion of old-crop supplies from previous harvests. “This is mainly due to tariffs. In a typical year, some old-crop beans would still enter the market,” said Wan Chengzhi of Capital Jingdu Futures.

Meanwhile, Brazil strengthened its dominance in the Chinese soybean market. Imports from Brazil surged nearly 30% year-on-year to 10.96 million tons in September, accounting for over 85% of China’s total soybean imports. Shipments from Argentina also rose sharply by 91.5% to 1.17 million tons, or 9% of total imports. Overall, China imported 12.87 million tons of soybeans in September, the second-highest monthly volume on record.

China has not purchased any soybeans from the current U.S. harvest, as buyers have opted for cheaper South American alternatives, aided by Argentina’s temporary export tax relief. Experts warn, however, that China may face a potential supply gap between February and April next year if trade talks with Washington fail to resume.

From January to September, China imported 63.7 million tons of soybeans from Brazil and 2.9 million tons from Argentina, both showing year-on-year growth. Despite September’s halt, China’s total U.S. soybean imports in 2025 reached 16.8 million tons, up 15.5% due to earlier purchases.