Trump says China committed to buying 12 million metric tons of soybeans in 2025. But that’s less than half of what they bought in 2024.

Marketplace checks in with some American producers and Chinese buyers at a recent trade show in Shanghai.

How much did the 2018 program accomplish?

The ongoing U.S.-China trade war is hurting American farmers. Amid record harvests in the U.S., farmers are finding lower prices and less demand when they bring it to market.

China is typically the destination for over a quarter of the U.S. soybean harvest. Now, U.S. farmers have a choice between selling at lower prices domestically or storing crops in hopes of a trade deal.

China is the biggest international market for U.S. soybeans and many other crops.

American companies and consumers can buy some of the excess commodities, but there's a limit to domestic demand.

Even though many commodities, like oil, were exempt from tariffs, the broader economic effects are likely to take a toll if they continue.

The Soybean Innovation Lab addressed poverty in sub-Saharan Africa, but it was also “a huge opportunity” for U.S. growers, says Peter Goldsmith of the University of Illinois.

Much of the food distributed by USAID comes from small farms across the U.S.