China’s purchases of U.S. agricultural products remain well below the pace needed to meet a recently announced trade commitment.
The White House said in May that China would purchase at least 17 billion dollars of U.S. farm goods annually through 2028, with the 2026 target prorated.
Soybeans were excluded from that figure because China separately pledged to increase soybean purchases, However, Agriculture Department data show China bought just 3.9 billion dollars of U.S. agricultural products, excluding soybeans, during the first seven months of 2026.
Bloomberg said that was only slightly more than the same period last year, when purchases were at a six-year low.
“As we look back over the last several years, we’ve had inconsistencies,” said National Sorghum Producers CEO Tim Lust. “It’s been really good at times, and it’s been really slow at times. So that’s one of the things that we’re hopeful out of this, that we get that more consistent trade volume.”
