The U.S. Trade Representative has pushed back China’s deadline for meeting its pledged soybean purchases after acknowledging a discrepancy between official statements and the timeline presented to lawmakers. USTR Jamieson Greer told the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday that China’s commitment to buy U.S. soybeans will now be measured through the end of the “growing season,” rather than by year-end, as initially announced.
The shift came after farmers questioned why the timeline in Greer’s testimony differed from the White House statement released on November 1, following a meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. That statement said China would purchase at least 12 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans during the final two months of 2025, and commit to at least 25 million metric tons annually in 2026, 2027, and 2028.
“We’ve heard from a couple of farmers; they want to know about that discrepancy,” Greer said. “And it is a discrepancy … It is for this growing season.”
Most U.S. soybeans are planted in May and June and harvested in September and October, according to USDA data, meaning the new timeline aligns purchase expectations with U.S. production cycles rather than the calendar year.
The change comes as the Trump administration rolls out a $12 billion aid package for farmers, including $11 billion in direct payments, designed to offset financial hardships tied to the U.S.–China trade conflict. The Agriculture Department also confirmed that China is set to receive an additional shipment of American soybeans.
For many producers, the disruption in export flows came at a steep cost. During the height of the trade war, farmers told NBC News that the sudden collapse in Chinese buying pushed their operations to the brink of bankruptcy.
China resumed purchases after the Trump–Xi meeting in late October, placing at least ten separate orders of varying sizes. According to NBC News, China has bought 2.85 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans since October — progress, but still below the pace implied by the original end-of-year pledge.
