China imported no soybeans from the US in September, marking the first time in nearly seven years that shipments from American farmers to their largest foreign customer have dropped to zero, Reuters reports. The drop, which highlights the ongoing trade rift between the world's two largest economies, is the first instance of no shipments since November 2018, according to data from China's General Administration of Customs. Imports from the US had totaled 1.7 million metric tons last September, but analysts blame high tariffs for the sharp decline. Per the analysts who spoke to the Washington Post, China is prepared to continue the freeze-out for the rest of the year as it puts pressure on the Trump administration to ease tariffs. Meanwhile, China's purchases from South America soared.
Brazilian soybean shipments jumped nearly 30% to 10.96 million tons, making up more than 85% of China's total soybean imports for the month. Imports from Argentina nearly doubled to 1.17 million tons. In total, China imported 12.87 million metric tons of soybeans in September, the second-highest monthly figure on record. With no US purchases booked from this season's harvest and the window for new deals closing quickly, US farmers face the prospect of billions in lost sales. The shift could also create risks for China, however. Analysts warn that if trade talks remain stalled, a supply gap could emerge in early 2025 before Brazil's next harvest arrives. Despite the September freeze-out, US soybeans still made up 16.8 million tons of China's year-to-date imports, up more than 15% from last year, thanks to purchases earlier in 2025.
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