Soybeans are a key point of contention in the US-China trade dispute, with China's buying patterns fluctuating based on political relations and trade policies.

It’s not just rare earths and AI. The humble soybean is also at the heart of a trade dispute between the US and China. For decades the US was China’s preferred source of soy – buying billions of dollars worth in 2024. But when Washington launched a trade war on China, Beijing stopped buying US soy altogether. Since last October’s truce between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump, China has started to buy the bean again. But how long will this relationship last ?