U.S. Soybean Farmers Appeal to Trump To Restore Trade Relations with China

Aug. 21—The American Soybean Association (ASA), the farmer group representing some 500,000 growers, sent a letter Aug. 19 directly to President Donald Trump from ASA President Caleb Ragland, a farmer in Kentucky, asking for the Trump Administration to talk to China to “reach a deal that includes the removal of China’s retaliatory duties and, if possible, significant purchase commitments” of U.S. soybeans. The U.S. farmers’ appeal is occasioned by the fact that China, in the context of U.S. trade and military belligerence, has simply placed no orders at all for the new soybean marketing period starting in September, after being the foremost importer of U.S. soybeans for decades. China bought 54% of U.S. soybean exports in the 2023-2024 trade year.

The ASA letter opens with the dire statement, “U.S. soybean farmers are standing at a trade and financial precipice.”

The significance of the farmers’ forthright appeal goes beyond even relieving the grim circumstances of the growers, whose productive capacity represents 28% of annual world soybean production, to the general point that the world needs President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping to confer on economic and security matters, and get on the track of mutually beneficial arrangements of all kinds, especially food.

ASA President Ragland’s letter states, "China has not purchased any U.S. soybeans for the months ahead as we quickly approach harvest. The further into the autumn we get without reaching an agreement with China on soybeans, the worse the impacts will be on U.S. soybean farmers.

“Soybean farmers are under extreme financial stress. Prices continue to drop and at the same time our farmers are paying significantly more for inputs and equipment. U.S. soybean farmers cannot survive a prolonged trade dispute with our largest customer.”

The letter is accompanied by a 10-page white paper of charts and documentation. Titled, “Soybeans Without a Buyer: The Export Gap Hurting U.S. Farms.”

The farmers’ letter details the gist of the crisis: “Over the past five years, China has imported an average of 61% of the world’s soybean supplies—more than the rest of the world combined. Historically, the U.S. was the provider of choice for Chinese customers. However, due to ongoing tariff retaliation, our longstanding customers in China have and will continue to turn to our competitors in South America to meet their demand, a demand Brazil can meet due to significantly increased production since the previous trade war with China.”

The letter was also sent to all Cabinet secretaries and to the leaders of the relevant committees in Congress. 

Sources report that Xi has requested a one-on-one meeting with Trump that he intends to use to change the direction of China-U.S. relations. Xi is prepared to offer the U.S. major concessions and trade deals, including on the purchase of agricultural products like soybeans, and will work out a fair reduction in tariffs generally. The sources say that Xi will also propose major Chinese investment in the U.S., as well as joint collaboration on international projects, and would lower the barriers for American investment in China, including in infrastructure projects.

Xi also intends to explain to Trump that the BRICS alliance is not a threat to either the United States or the dollar, but represents a pathway towards a new just economic order, that threatens only the economic royalists who control the collapsing monetarist world order, and who are pushing for conflict between the United States and China and Russia. Xi will offer the United States China's help in transitioning to this new global system, which is based on cooperative economic development for the benefit of all, not only a handful of the wealthiest people. China would resume purchase of U.S. debt, the which it had all but suspended as the two nations vectored towards conflict.

The sources say that they expect that such a summit could take place within the next month, perhaps around the time of the September UN General Assembly meeting.

There has also been talk of a possible tripartite summit between Xi, Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Sept. 3 commemoration of Victory in World War II over Japan, to be held in Beijing. Putin will be attending. Trump has not yet been invited, sources report, since Xi realizes that internal differences within the Administration might force him to decline. Xi, these sources report, places a high priority on a direct summit with Trump, ostensibly to settle the trade and tariff questions, but which will include broader discussions.