By Jamie Martin
China has resumed modest agricultural imports from the United States after a diplomatic meeting between the two countries’ leaders, signaling a gradual improvement in trade relations that had been strained by tariffs and trade barriers.
Reports from Reuters confirm that Chinese buyers purchased two cargoes of U.S. wheat totaling around 120,000 tons for December delivery. The shipments include both soft white and spring wheat, the first such orders since October of the previous year.
“‘I know after the meeting, one shipment of sorghum has been loaded and is coming over,’ Wilson told Reuters on the sidelines of the China International Import Expo in Shanghai, adding that he did not know the size of the shipment,” said Mark Wilson, chairman of the U.S. Grains and BioProducts Council. “I hope that we can get back to normal on sorghum because that’s the number one thing. Before, 95% of the (U.S. sorghum) export market from the U.S. came to China, so we need to get that going again. That’s what I hope happens.”
The purchases follow China’s decision to suspend certain retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports, a move that offers some relief to agricultural exporters. Despite this progress, U.S. soybeans continue to face a 13% import tariff, slowing broader trade recovery.
Meanwhile, China’s customs administration reinstated soybean export eligibility for three U.S. companies — CHS, Louis Dreyfus Company Grains Merchandising, and EGT — effective November 10. This decision restores access for these firms after suspensions were issued earlier this year.
Together, these actions suggest that China and the U.S. are cautiously rebuilding their agricultural trade relationship, providing hope for expanded future exports and greater market stability for American farmers.
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