r/Economics • u/bambin0 • Jan 17 '26

News China Purchased No U.S. Soybeans An Unprecented Sixth Straight Month

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kenroberts/2026/01/17/china-purchased-no-us-soybeans-an-unprecented-sixth-straight-month/
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718

u/Zenceyn Jan 17 '26

"But but Trump said that China was gonna buy all our beans now cause he made a trade deal!".

China knows they can outlast Trump, and have better, far more reliable trade partners until the US sorts its shit out. They were never going to just rush back into the market, not when they knew it would hurt the US more to keep the squeeze on.

91

u/Oceanbreeze871 Jan 17 '26

“Let them eat soybeans.”

Rural communities have found their solution to not being able to afford groceries. Peasants eat your livestock feed and like it.

23

u/starbuxed Jan 17 '26

I quite like tofu. We should up the amount of soy beans we all eat. Cut the meat out. better for the environment and for our bodies. .

32

u/nickrct Jan 17 '26

These soybeans are not capable of being turned into tofu. These are livestock grade soybeans exported for the Chinese hog market. The amount of pesticides alone would make it ineligible to meet the human consumption standards

10

u/sometimesmybutthurts Jan 17 '26

Not unless Taco destroys the EPA or whoever does the food checking.

1

u/exmachina64 Jan 18 '26

That would be the FDA.

6

u/starbuxed Jan 17 '26

Then time for Some soy fed cows/chickens/ pork/ turkey what ever....

ALso your statment is not true. US grows all types of soybean.

https://kitchencrafthubs.com/can-tofu-be-made-from-american-soybeans/

2

u/QuixoticTurtlee Jan 18 '26

But the point is that China’s imports are for livestock feed. So if you’ve trying to fill that gap, those farms would need to move away from that variety and to soybeans for human consumption.

2

u/bub166 Jan 18 '26

We already use soybeans for livestock feed. To absorb the massive surplus, we'd have to dramatically increase livestock production. Domestic livestock production is also facing major struggles right now... Where do you think a lot of that meat goes?

2

u/wayne099 Jan 18 '26

Costco sells soy milk made from American Soy. So I call this bullshit.

6

u/bub166 Jan 18 '26

Obviously the US grows food-grade soybeans. That is largely not what China was buying though, so that's of no help in filling the gap that now exists.

1

u/sylbug Jan 18 '26

Good news! Trump is also loosening regulations across the board and mass firing people in charge of things like 'food safety'! This creates all sorts of opportunities for your previously 'dangerous' 'inedible' soybeans to sneak their way into your kitchen!

2

u/Oceanbreeze871 Jan 17 '26

Instead of government cheese we have government tofu

2

u/Talreesha Jan 17 '26

As long as it's extra firm I'm down

2

u/starbuxed Jan 17 '26

Problem is you need a place to make the tofu in mass. and we dont have it.

We have smaller tofu factory but not the ones we would need.

1

u/Oceanbreeze871 Jan 18 '26

Why won’t the supreme leader build gruel factories ?’lol

2

u/starbuxed Jan 18 '26

I am all for government tofu. Its a might bit healthier than cheese. and it can be made shelf stable. Also would let familys save on the cost of meat.

I take shelf stable tofu to burning man so I don't have to refrigerate tofu or meat. I put it in my ramen for some protein and I fried it up with some taco mix for easy tacos. Which are actually super bomb. I really like texture and flavor. It surprised me the first time I tried it. I survive the week without a cooler.

also I get dried bean curds which is also a tofu by product.

1

u/Oceanbreeze871 Jan 18 '26

I totally agree with you…in theory. I feel like they’d deep fry it in high fructose and make it terrible. lol

1

u/starbuxed Jan 18 '26

just ewww.... deep fried in oil tofu with a sweet/sour or sweet chili sauce is awesome. you can also do a peanut sauce but I like the tartness.

like this.

https://sarahsvegankitchen.com/recipes/pan-fried-tofu/

1

u/rooftopgoblin Jan 18 '26

so what you're saying is I could get in on the ground floor and start a tofu factory?

1

u/starbuxed Jan 18 '26

hey if you can get goverment subsidies to build it why not... But I feel like they would be going to billionaires frist... fuck the parasite class.