The contents of this article are written with authoritative materials and personal opinions. The source of the literature has been marked at the end of the article, so please know.
On September 23, China placed two orders in one breath and bought a total of 2.27 million tons of soybeans from Argentina.
This matter is not simple. It's not just buying some agricultural products, but more like bypassing the United States and re-establishing a supply system. This will be a big blow to American agricultural exports.
The Argentine government suddenly announced on September 22, Suspension of export taxes on soybeans and corn, these main agricultural products。
You know, before, the highest export tax on these things was 26%. The new rule is that the tax will be exempted until the end of October, or the total export volume will end when it reaches 7 billion US dollars.
Once this tax-free "window period" opens, the price has an advantage, attracting buyers from all over the world to buy.
The Argentine port was suddenly busy, and within three days the freight shipment plan was filled up, and the exporters followed the price hike, and China, that was the first action. On the first day, China first bought 10 ships of soybeans; The next day, the order doubled directly, almost 20 ships.
According to traders' estimates, this adds up to more than 1.3 million tons. A few days later, China placed additional orders, The final total reached 2.27 million tons.
There are not only stock beans, but also new beans collected after November. The time span is large and the coverage is wide. The meaning is very clear: China is rebuilding its own food reserve channels in a down-to-earth manner.
In fact, this wave of operations is the result of cracks in Sino-US soybean trade relations for so many years.
Previously, China was the largest buyer of U.S. soybeans, and the U.S. soybeans lived almost on the Chinese market.But since the start of the China-US trade war in 2018, the situation has been completely different.
In the beginning, the United States raised tariffs on Chinese goods.China, of course, did not show weakness, and China also added retaliatory tariffs on U.S. produced soybeans.
In the following years, the U.S. exports of soybeans to China have become less and less, accounting for more than 30 percent from the highest time, falling to less than one-fifth by 2025.
In order not to put all the eggs in one basket, China began to expand to buy soybeans from South America, especially Brazil and Argentina.
At the same time, it is also accelerating the research of alternative varieties in the country. Development of genetically modified domestic bean seedsIncrease the reserve capacity.
By 2025, this trend will become evident.U.S. soybean exports dropped in the autumn, and China alone.This was the first "zero procurement" since 1999.This has caused great shock in the U.S. agricultural circle.
The Middle West is most affected.Farmers in Iowa, Illinois, and Minnesota, such as those in the United States, could not sell full of beans in their warehouses, and the purchase price fell below the cost.
Speaking of this, people feel upset.
The harvests of farmers accumulated like mountainous beans, the warehouses could not be loaded quickly, and there was a fleet of cars that could not be transported at home, looking at people who were concerned about them.
Some peasants, too, really can't do it, the beans in their eyes to ruin in the ground, just drop a fire in the pit!
Do not think that this is gambling, they also hurt the heart, instead of losing money to store, rather than directly burn, anyway can save a little cost. This burning, is not only the farmers themselves, the entire industrial chain follows misfortune.
Railway freight dropped, ports went out of business, warehouses and transportation companies could only cut jobs, and even insurance companies began to worry that the farm’s loans could still be paid.
It was a good agricultural road, and the eye was going to the head. Even more surprising is the fact that the U.S. government at this time was still engaged in a foreign aid policy, which resulted in a scream.
The White House announced that it would negotiate a $20 billion currency swap with Argentina and buy their national debt to help them stabilize their economy.
The news came, the agricultural interest groups in the U.S. directly blasted the pot! the American Soybean Association first jumped out against.
They said in a statement that the American farmers watched the Chinese market lose, and the government took our money to help the competitors?
This practice makes people who rely on land to eat especially unpleasant.。 To talk about this, we have to start with Trump's trade war at that time.
He thought through the trade war, at the negotiating table more cheap. but as a result, China did not eat his set, directly adjust the procurement structure, established its own supply system.
As a result, South America became a new import channel, and the United States, in turn, was put aside. China did not do this for a moment, but after a long period of market search and diplomatic layout.
Buying things from South America, re-establishing the supply chain, and controlling the pace of purchases, China is making plans for its own food security step by step.
This matter also brings political risks.
The Midwestern Agriculture State, the most important box office in Trump’s campaign, has always been a supporter of the Republican party.
But now, their food cannot be sold out, income drops, loans are not yet up, the pressure on life is increasing.
In these agricultural states, politics and the prices of agricultural products are closely linked, and what farmers want is a stable market with an anticipated income, rather than subsidies and empty commitments.
But Trump just wanted to go against China, saying that he should be "tough for fairness". As a result, agricultural products still couldn't be sold. China’s position is also clear.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce have repeatedly stated that China welcomes fair trade but rejects unreasonable unilateralism.
This purchase is not only business, but also the embodiment of national strategy. Food security cannot be counted on only one country. South America is slowly filling the market gap left by the United States.
Once this adjustment becomes a foregone conclusion, it will be difficult for the United States to return to its original position. These 2.27 million tons of soybeans are both market behavior and a signal.
It was not only shipped to Chinese ports, but also to the reality of American farms, and even into the political calculations of the White House.
Now the question is, what should the United States do? Can Trump change his strategy? This is not only related to winning or losing a general election, but also related to the future of the whole agriculture.
References:
1. "China purchased 20 ships of Argentine soybeans in two days, and U.S. congressmen were furious: Argentina stabbed us in the back!" 2025-09-24 23:15 | Source: Observer.com
The soybean harvest season will come, American Farmer Crazy @ Trump: “Fifth-level fire alert”, no time! 2025-09-27 19:51 PM Source: Observer Network
3. "Argentina will receive support from the United States: including US $20 billion in currency swaps and direct investment" 2025-09-25 15:55 | Source: China News Network