【By Observer News, Qi Qian】
The U.S. soybean harvest season has passed, and there are zero Chinese orders, coupled with rising costs of equipment and fertilizers, American farmers are increasingly desperate.
"American soybean farmers urge the government to choose partnership rather than pressure when dealing with relations with China," Hong Kong's South China Morning Post reported on October 28, stating that American soybean growers have suffered heavy losses and hope the government will take action soon. They all said that the Trump administration must reduce rhetoric and radical strategies to reach a lasting soybean agreement with China.
"I don't think we can force the Chinese to do anything, and I don't think that's the approach we need," David Berrill, a farmer from Maryland, described China as "a good partner" and emphasized that "there must be a relationship or partnership that benefits everyone."
With the volatility of Sino-U.S. trade relations, Argentina joined Brazil in seizing the Chinese market after receiving billions of dollars in aid from the United States, and American farmers say the number of bankruptcies is increasing. They feel abandoned by the Trump administration. However, American farmers have always been a key voting bloc for the Republican Party.
Berrill, 72 years old, is a supporter of Trump, believing he is "a very successful businessman." But he said that Trump's expertise in real estate and finance does not mean he understands agriculture. He openly expressed "great disappointment" with Treasury Secretary Becerra's recent remarks towards Chinese representatives.
"We urgently need to reach an agreement because if we miss this opportunity, 52% of our soybeans may have nowhere to go, which would be very, very harmful to our industry," he reiterated, saying that the U.S. radical strategies are "not working for the Chinese, and they have no place at all."
According to the Ministry of Commerce website, on the 16th, a reporter mentioned that Becerra claimed that Li Chenggang, Vice Minister of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, made some "inciting" statements and also said that he recently came to Washington without invitation, which was "very impolite." The spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce, He Yongqian, responded that the U.S. comments seriously distorted the facts. The Chinese side hopes the U.S. can recognize its wrong actions and move forward in the right direction of dialogue and consultation with China.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated on the same day that the Chinese position has always been consistent and clear. The U.S. should resolve the issues through dialogue and consultation on the basis of equality, respect, and mutual benefit, rather than repeatedly exerting pressure and threatening intimidation.
John Battman, a fifth-generation farmer from Illinois, criticized the Trump administration for lacking a plan in the agricultural sector and accused its tariff policies of being a "shotgun that hits everyone." He mentioned that farmers were "very dissatisfied" with the Trump administration's assistance to Argentina, as South American countries are rapidly capturing the Chinese market share for American soybeans.
"This is a major issue," he also said, that the Trump administration's plan to import Argentine beef not only harms the cattle industry but also hurts American farmers. "He will push us further into bankruptcy. The rising rate of farmer bankruptcies is very unfortunate and should not happen."
The report cited data from the American Farm Bureau Federation, stating that over 200 American farms applied for bankruptcy in 2024. The U.S. has completely lost more than 140,000 farms from 2017 to 2022, and another 20,000 in the past two years. The report also mentioned that the price of U.S. soybeans has dropped 58% since 2022 to below $10, and corn has fallen 54% to $4.
China's purchase of U.S. soybeans has dropped to zero, New York Times map
Earlier this year, the Trump administration unilaterally initiated a trade conflict, causing heavy losses to U.S. agricultural products.
U.S. traders believe that merely extending the tariff suspension period is unlikely to boost purchases, as China still imposes a 23% import tariff on U.S. soybeans, making them less competitive. In contrast, Argentina and Brazil, strong competitors of U.S. soybeans, have tariffs of just 3%. Recently, Argentina temporarily suspended its grain export tax to make its soybeans more attractive.
China is the world's largest buyer of soybeans, with significant influence over the global market. American agricultural states have long been a key voting bloc for the Republican Party, and Trump is facing increasing pressure from Republican lawmakers in agricultural core areas, who urge the Trump administration to break the deadlock on soybean procurement with China.
A recent report by the U.S. think tank "Center for Strategic and International Studies" estimated that compared to the average export volume over the past four years, U.S. farmers will lose $5.7 billion in soybean exports to China by October 2025. The report warned that farmers in the central part of the U.S. may bear an "unfair burden."
"I think we've reached a point where we can't force the Chinese to do anything," said another anonymous farmer from Maryland, adding that he is "quite confident" that some agreement will eventually be reached between the U.S. and China, though he didn't expect it to take so long.
According to Xinhua News Agency, on October 25-26 local time, the Chinese side's chief negotiator for Sino-U.S. economic and trade, Vice Premier He Lifeng, held Sino-U.S. economic and trade consultations with the U.S. side's chief negotiators, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Photo of Becerra from ABC interview
In a program broadcast by ABC on the 26th, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen stated that China's refusal to buy U.S. soybeans also "hurts him," because "I'm actually a soybean farmer."
"There are several aspects involved in the current situation, first of all, China has significantly reduced its purchases, almost down to zero," Yellen admitted. He said that American farmers are one of the most steadfast support groups of Trump. "On the other hand, this year's soybean harvest is one of the highest in decades. All these factors together create a perfect storm."
According to Yellen, the U.S.-China trade negotiations have reached a "substantial framework," and he believes this will ease the concerns of American soybean farmers about China's refusal to purchase U.S. soybeans.
On the 27th, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun presided over a regular press conference. A Bloomberg reporter asked, according to reports, whether China and the U.S. have reached a framework trade agreement, and could the spokesperson provide more details, especially regarding the part about purchasing soybeans mentioned by U.S. Treasury Secretary Yellen?
Guo Jiakun stated that regarding the Sino-U.S. economic and trade consultations, the Chinese side has already released information. During this round of economic and trade consultations, both sides engaged in candid, in-depth, and constructive exchanges on important economic and trade issues of mutual concern, and reached basic consensus on arrangements to address each other's concerns. Both sides agreed to further determine specific details and fulfill their respective domestic approval procedures.
"For specific issues, we suggest you ask the relevant Chinese authorities," Guo Jiakun said.
This article is exclusive to Observer News. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7566156623173960238/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author and welcomes your opinion by clicking the [Up/Down] buttons below.