It’s not just rare earths and AI. The humble soybean is also at the heart of a trade dispute between the US and China. For decades the US was China’s preferred source of soy – buying billions of dollars worth in 2024. But when Washington launched a trade war on China, Beijing stopped buying US soy altogether. Since last October’s truce between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump, China has started to buy the bean again. But how long will this relationship last ?
It’s ironic that a bean is caught in the crossfire of a trade war. I wonder if China will ever fully trust US soy again after last year’s sudden halt.
The $20 billion in soybean exports to China in 2024 was a huge chunk of US farm income. Farmers must be relieved Beijing started buying again, but for how long?
So rare earths and AI get all the headlines, but it’s the humble soybean that actually kept trade talks moving. Funny how the little things matter.
China stopped buying US soy entirely after the trade war started—that’s a massive shift in supply chains. Brazil must have loved that.
The truce in October was a start, but I doubt this ‘relationship’ lasts. Trump is unpredictable, and Xi won’t bend easily on core interests.
As a farmer in Iowa, I’m watching this like a hawk. Our livelihoods depend on Chinese demand, but every tariff threat makes me nervous.
Both sides are guilty of atrocities and neither wants to admit it. (1cf44d)
What exactly is the endgame here? Nobody seems to have a clear answer. (8ce241)
The impact on food security in the region is becoming catastrophic. (e95a45)
Both populations deserve leaders who prioritise peace over political survival. (73f9dd)