Harvest in Jeopardy: U.S. Soybean Farmers Plead for Relief as China Turns Away

American soybean farmers are bracing for one of the largest harvests in history—nearly 4.3 billion bushels—but with no orders from China, their biggest buyer, the season is shaping up to be a financial disaster.

A Financial Cliff for Farmers

The timing couldn’t be worse. Soybean prices are down 40% from three years ago, while costs

for fertilizer, seed, and equipment keep climbing. 

For Caleb Ragland, a Kentucky farmer and president of the American Soybean Association, that translates into $750,000 in projected losses this year alone. “We’re planting a crop that looks like it will be produced at a loss. “By fall, when the soybeans are harvested and ready to sell, we’re gonna need a drastic improvement in our markets or it’s gonna get even tougher for farm families all across this country.” 

It’s not just individual farms at risk. About 500,000 soybean farmers nationwide are squeezed by the same math. With little margin for error, one bad harvest—or one bad policy season—could tip many into insolvency.

Ripple Effects Across the Economy

The consequences extend well beyond the farm gate. Agriculture contributes nearly $10 trillion to the U.S. economy each year, representing almost 19% of total output. Soybean exports alone support more than 231,000 American jobs in farming, transportation, manufacturing, and logistics.

When farmers struggle, rural communities struggle. “Our rural communities are a lot of folks across this country. And that impacts small business. That impacts just the whole infrastructure within our communities.” Ragland said.

China Turns to Brazil

The crisis is rooted in ongoing U.S.-China trade tensions. American soybeans currently face a tariff disadvantage of about 20% compared with South American beans, pushing the effective duty rate to 34%.

China has responded by doubling down on Brazil. In March 2025 alone, Brazil shipped 15.7 million tons of soybeans abroad—three-quarters of it bound for China, the highest monthly total ever.

The American Soybean Association warned in an August 19 letter to President Trump that “China has contracted with Brazil to meet future months’ needs to avoid purchasing any soybeans from the United States.”

Appeals for Urgent Action

Ragland, a longtime Trump supporter, has been blunt about what farmers need: a deal. “We desperately need to get something rectified quickly with China, our biggest export customer,” he said.

“We want to keep this nation strong. We’re the backbone of America,” Ragland said. “But we gotta make sure that we survive through these tough times.”