China imported a record 13.55 million metric tons of soybeans in June, driven by a 13.7% year-on-year increase in Brazilian shipments to 12.08 million tons, customs data showed on Monday.
Brazil exported 10.62 million tons of soybeans to China in June, while US sales to the Chinese market fell 20.6% to 1.6 million tons over the same period. The shift deepened in the first half of 2026: Chinese purchases of US soybeans dropped 42.4% year-on-year to 9.31 million tons, while imports from Brazil rose 9.1% to 34.75 million tons.
The trade patterns follow a series of agreements reached after Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump met in Busan, South Korea, last October.