U.S. fights with Brazil for China's giant soybean market

The U.S. Soybean Export Council booth is pictured here during the 4th China International Supply Chain Expo on June 22, 2026 in Beijing, China. China News Service | Getty Images BEIJING — As Brazil takes a greater share of Chinese soybean purchases away from American farmers, the U.S. is trying to win back buyers by emphasizing crop quality. "Soybean production in North America and soybean production in South America is very different," Carlos Salinas, executive director, East Asia, at the U.S. Soybean Export Council said in a presentation Tuesday at the China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing. He compared a range of weather factors between a city in Brazil and one in the U.S. state of Illinois, such as rainfall in the 30 days ahead of harvest: 231 millimeters versus 72 mm. "That impacts crop condition. That impacts quality," he said. The half-day event for "advancing a sustainable and resilient U.S.-China soybean supply chain" was co-organized with the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. "What we really encourage buyers in soy to do is to make sure they're educating themselves on this to go deeper," Jim Sutter, CEO of the U.S. Soybean Export Council told CNBC on the sidelines of the event, noting new ways to measure quality and nutrition, especially for animal feed. American soybeans have become a bargaining chip in the escalation of U.S.-China trade tensions over the last several years. …