The American Soybean Association sent a letter to President Donald Trump ahead of his upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, urging the administration to ensure China fulfills its soybean purchase commitments, address tariffs and other trade barriers, and prioritize a stable, long-term trading relationship that supports U.S. soybean farmers.
ASA President and Ohio soybean farmer Scott Metzger said soybean farmers need consistency and predictability in China, one of the industry's most important export markets. The association said progress at the meeting with Xi could help provide greater certainty for farmers as harvest approaches.
ASA's letter expressed support for a U.S.-China Board of Trade that includes soybeans as a non-sensitive good. The association also called for eliminating China's 10% retaliatory duty on U.S. soybeans and asked the administration to ensure any future implementation of Section 301 port fees on Chinese ships does not disrupt or diminish U.S. export sales.
China committed to purchasing at least 25 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans annually in 2026, 2027 and 2028, following a 12 million metric ton commitment for late 2025.
ASA said it appreciates the administration's efforts to achieve progress since the October 2025 U.S.-China trade summit and encouraged the administration to build on that progress during the upcoming meeting with Xi. The association also pointed to renewed Chinese purchases of U.S. soybeans as farmers enter harvest.
Source: American Soybean Association, "ASA Urges Progress on Soybean Trade Ahead of Trump-Xi Meeting"