China meets initial soybean purchase goal, but Trump's shifting trade policy could disrupt dealThe Trump administration says China has fulfilled its initial commitment to buy 12 million metric tons of soybeans, but it’s not clear if the trade agreement announced in October can withstand President Donald Trump’s ever-shifting trade policy as Amer... ByJOSH FUNK AP business writerJanuary 20, 2026, 3:02 PMChina has fulfilled its initial commitment to buy 12 million metric tons of soybeans from the U. S., but it's not clear if the trade agreement announced in October can withstand President Donald Trump's ever-shifting trade policy as American farmers are still dealing with high production costs. Earlier this month, Trump said he would impose 25% tariffs on any country that buys from Iran, which would include China. Then last weekend he threatened to impose 10% tariffs on eight of America's closest allies in Europe if they continue to oppose his efforts to acquire Greenland. So the administration's trade policy continues to change quickly, and Iowa State University agricultural economist Chad Hart said that could undermine the trade agreement with China and jeopardize the commitment by the world's largest soybean buyer to purchase 25 million metric tons of American soybeans in each of the next three years.“Those new tariffs — what does that mean for this agreement?
