China has purchased the largest amount of US soybeans since November, a move that expands the buying spree and reflects an acceleration in agricultural trade between the world's two largest economies.

The US Department of Agriculture announced on Wednesday that sales of 472,000 metric tons of soybeans for delivery to China were recorded, the largest daily export volume to Beijing since November 2025.

These confirmed purchases come after state-owned trading company Cofco booked at least five additional shipments overnight, primarily for loading between September and October, according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified as they were not authorized to speak to the media. This move follows the booking of at least six shipments earlier in the week.

Cofco could not be reached for immediate comment.

Tue, 07 2026

A typical soybean shipment is around 60,000 tons. By the end of last month, the USDA reported that Chinese buyers had committed to purchasing 200,000 tons of US soybeans from the new crop. The sales announced Wednesday were split between 136,000 tons for delivery in the current marketing year and the remainder for the following year.

Wed, 08 2026

The trade recovery follows a summit between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in May, boosting expectations of increased Beijing imports of US agricultural goods as both sides seek to fulfill their commitments under the broader trade truce.

The White House announced that China agreed to purchase at least $17 billion worth of US agricultural products, in addition to at least 25 million tons of soybeans annually until 2028, though Beijing has not officially confirmed these figures. In response, Chinese officials said both sides are working to reduce tariffs on some agricultural products and maintain the truce reached last year.

Naomi Blohm, an analyst at Total Farm Marketing, said in a note, "China has so far begun buying what it committed to buy. This is not new demand beyond what was agreed."

Beijing's purchases support US exporters and farmers.

Any additional Chinese purchases would support US exporters and farmers ahead of the new marketing season starting in September. Chicago soybean futures have risen in recent days amid expectations of increased Chinese demand, while traders await new political signals from Washington and Beijing before a planned meeting between Trump and Xi later this year.

US soybean exports currently face an additional 10% tariff compared to competitors, keeping private crushers out of the market. Even without these tariffs, soybeans from Brazil's latest crop are still cheaper than US shipments, according to Commodity3 data.