How Has the US Soybean Industry Done With the Trade War?

Core Insights - The US soybean industry is significantly impacted by the ongoing trade war with China, leading to unfavorable market conditions [1] Global Soybean Market Update - China is projected to import 112.0 million metric tons (mmt) of soybeans during the 2025-2026 marketing year, unchanged from the previous month and an increase of 5.5 mmt from 2024-2025 [2] - Brazil's soybean exports for the 2025-2026 marketing year are also estimated at 112.0 mmt, unchanged from last month and up 9.9 mmt from 2024-2025, which would surpass Brazil's previous record of 104.17 mmt from 2023-2024 [2] - The USDA estimates US soybean exports at 45.86 mmt for 2025-2026, a decrease of 0.54 mmt from last month and down 5.17 mmt from 2024-2025, marking the lowest export figure since 2019-2020 [2] Historical Context - In the 2014-2015 marketing year, Brazil and the US were nearly even in exports, with Brazil at 50.61 mmt and the US at 50.14 mmt, while China imported 78.35 mmt [3] - The following year, Brazil's exports increased to 54.38 mmt, while US exports fell to 52.86 mmt, as China's imports rose to 83.23 mmt [3] - The trade dynamics shifted significantly after the US presidential election in 2016, with Brazil's exports rising to 63.14 mmt and US exports dropping to 52.86 mmt, as China's imports increased to 93.5 mmt [3] - The trade war initiated in January 2018 led to a further decline in US exports to 58.07 mmt during the 2017-2018 marketing year, while Brazil's exports surged to 76.18 mmt and China's imports reached a record high of 94.1 mmt [3]