Minnesota soybean farmers received a hearty dose of good economic news to close out October 2025 when the Trump administration announced that China has made a multi-year pledge to resume purchases of large quantities of U.S. soybeans. 

Under the reported agreement reached by President Trump and Chinese President Xi, China will purchase 12 million metric tons (MMT) of U.S. soybeans across the next several months and committed to buying at least 25 million metric tons (nearly 920 million bushels) over the next three years. In the 2023/24 marketing year, China bought just under 27 million metric tons in U.S. soybeans, equating to about $13 billion and over half of all the nation’s soy exports. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also announced that additional markets outside of China would purchase 19 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans. 

Bringing the China market back is a win for Minnesota’s soybean industry, which brings in nearly $10 billion in revenue yearly.  

“This is definitely a big step in the right direction for our farmers and the ag economy to get back to moving the pile,” Minnesota Soybean Growers Association President Darin Johnson said. “We commend the administration for including soybeans in these discussions and hope this leads to more stable trade relations in the years ahead.”  

China is the top purchaser of Minnesota soybeans, thanks to relationships built by farmers across four decades. About one in four rows of Minnesota’s soybeans are typically destined for China. Soybeans are Minnesota’s top ag export, a market valued at over $2 billion annually.  

“China is definitely a market we don’t want to lose, and when you lose a market, it takes years to replace, so this is a very encouraging development,” MSGA Vice President Ryan Mackenthun said. “Having trade with China is so important to our bottom lines, so this news is very exciting.”    

Throughout 2025, MSGA’s officer team has been actively advocating for its members and the state’s ag economy, which relies heavily on trade.

Since the U.S-China trade dispute picked up steam again earlier in 2025, directors representing MSGA have been a leading voice warning of the dangers of market disruption and the importance of trade to their industry and Minnesota’s economy. MSGA will continue to seek market opportunities, both domestic and internationally, to grow demand and add value. 

“We have a ways to go to get our farm economy back to where we want it, but I’m extremely proud of our team at MSGA for being engaged and proactive in their advocacy for our farmers,” Johnson said. “We’ve been out front in sharing our message with legislators and in the media, and those messages were heard by our leaders in D.C. That’s why being a member of MSGA is important.”  

MSGA is eager to learn more specific details on the agreement, along with other trade deals reached in Southeast Asia. Earlier in the week, Japan agreed to make $8 billion in annual purchases from the United States, including food and agricultural products. The commitments lay a solid foundation to return to traditional, reliable volumes over the coming marketing years.  

The American Soybean Association (ASA) is eager to continue working with the administration to ensure these developments lead to lasting market stability and stronger opportunities for the nation’s half-million soybean farmers.  

“This is a meaningful step forward to reestablishing a stable, long-term trading relationship that delivers results for farm families and future generations,” said Caleb Ragland, ASA president and Kentucky soybean farmer. 

Click here to join MSGA, the nation’s longest-running state soybean advocacy organization.