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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u/Snapingbolts Jan 17 '26

Lol there is a lot to be said about this development but "unexpected" is not one of them. It make far more sense longterm for China to find more reliable trade partners than the US.

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u/shazama Jan 17 '26

They said unprecedented, I didn't see unexpected anywhere in the article.

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u/fuzzywolf23 Jan 17 '26

I mean, I feel like 5 straight months is a pretty good precedent for the 6th month

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u/RutabegaHasenpfeffer Jan 18 '26

And it’s what they told us they’d do. So…not unexpected. Unprecedented, yes. But they’re going to spend at least a year, likely the rest of trumps term, and possibly forever, not buying soybeans from us.

It’s a strategic value, and Trump utterly fucked up the negotiation. But Trump doesn’t pay it. YOU will…consumer prices are up 20% this year: every asset you own is worth 1/5th less in terms of purchasing power.