Despite the ongoing trade tensions between the United States and China, soybean farmers in North Dakota remain hopeful, finding new opportunities through local use and emerging markets. While economists describe this period as one of the most difficult for soybean producers marked by low market prices and a trade war local farmers are discovering alternative ways to market their crops.
As of this report, China had yet to place any new soybean orders from the U.S., continuing instead to source most of its supply from Brazil. However, the increasing number of local processing facilities in North Dakota is providing farmers with a promising outlet. Evan Montgomery, a soybean farmer from Grand Forks, said, “We’re crushing left, right and center. These plants are a big part of the solution in this trade environment.”
According to Karen Braun, chief economist at Zaner Ag Hedge, about 75% of North Dakota’s soybeans were shipped to China in 2016. Today, nearly half of that volume is processed domestically. “That kind of shift in less than 10 years is remarkable,” Braun said.
USDA data shows that while many regions in the U.S. switched to corn in 2025 due to more favorable prices, soybean acreage in North Dakota declined by only 3%. Braun explained, “If North Dakota can expand its capacity to export processed soy products and soybean meal, there’s real potential there. It won’t happen overnight, but it’s a possible long-term opportunity if the trade war continues.”
Montgomery believes the state’s diverse cropping system helped prevent a drastic shift away from soybeans. “In my area, we grow a lot of sugarbeets and dry beans. Many farmers prefer to diversify rather than switch everything to corn,” he said.
Montgomery added that while building connections to China took years, alternative destinations are now on the horizon. “We’re looking at Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam there are other markets out there,” he said.
Braun pointed out that while North Dakota competes well in global corn markets, it’s more challenging with soybeans and soybean meal. “Brazil and Argentina are covering China’s demand, and the U.S. can’t move soybeans to Indonesia, Europe, Mexico, and Japan fast enough. If China stays out of the picture, the U.S. soybean market will look drastically different,” she said.
