January 23, 2026

US dependence on soybean exports to China affects trade sovereignty, says US official

A US official said that US farmers' dependence on soybean exports to China undermines US trade sovereignty and poses national security risks.

White House trade and manufacturing adviser Peter Navarro wrote about this in a column for The Hill.

According to Navarro, when US farmers are critically dependent on a single foreign buyer, US trade policy ceases to be independent and becomes vulnerable to external pressure. He emphasises that no country has exploited this vulnerability as effectively as China, and no crop has been "weaponised" more heavily than US soybeans.

Navarro also criticises the model of exporting raw materials. According to him, by sending soybeans abroad instead of processing them domestically, the United States hands over control of key resources for the production of meat, milk and eggs to foreign processors, and then is forced to buy these products at higher prices.

"This is not just inefficient — it is an economic and security defeat that is draining agriculture, exposing farmers to external pressures, and fueling rising and volatile food prices for American families," Navarro said.

The article was publicly supported by Brooke Rollins, the US Secretary of Agriculture. She wrote on X that Navarro's column clearly shows how China is using soybean purchases as a tool to pressure the US.

In late October 2025, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant announced that China had agreed to purchase large volumes of US soybeans as part of new trade agreements between the countries. According to Bessant, Beijing agreed to purchase 12 million tonnes of soybeans this season. In the future, according to the agreements, China will purchase at least 25 million tonnes of soybeans annually for the next three years.

- Latifundist