Trump accuses China of avoiding U.S. soybeans, warns of trade retaliation

U.S. President Donald Trump has accused China of deliberately cutting back purchases of American soybeans and warned of retaliatory measures targeting cooking oil and other trade sectors.

Writing on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump said Beijing’s actions were ‘economically hostile’ and intended to harm U.S. farmers. He claimed Washington was now considering ending trade with China in cooking oil and ‘other elements of trade’ in response.

‘We can easily produce cooking oil ourselves — we don’t need to buy it from China,’ he said.

According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S. soybean exports to China dropped from $17.9 billion in 2022 to $12.2 billion in 2024.

Trump added that soybean trade would be among the main issues in a potential meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The remarks come amid heightened trade tensions between Washington and Beijing. Last week, Trump threatened to impose 100% tariffs on Chinese goods after Beijing expanded restrictions on rare earth exports.

China’s Foreign Ministry responded on Tuesday, urging the U.S. to ‘refrain from threats and pressure’ and instead work towards restoring stable economic ties.

Copied