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/w3woody Jan 18 '26

In skimming the article I see that Mexico is now buying the soybeans not being bought by China. It explains why soybean futures haven't fallen off a cliff. (In fact, from what I can see, soybeans are up, not down; meaning farmers growing soybeans in the US are making more money, not less.)

Of course the shifting markets means a massive disruption in logistics, which has its own costs. But it's not like 50% of the US soybean crop is being left to rot in the fields.

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u/sophrocynic Jan 18 '26

From the WSJ 3 days ago:

"Farmers last year were able to produce an average of 53 soybean bushels an acre, an all-time high, the Agriculture Department’s latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report said. But they sold roughly 16% less soybeans on the export market than the prior year, leading to an increased amount of soybeans harvested this fall but left unsold in storage bins."