Cargill has suspended soybean exports from Brazil to China

Cargill has suspended soybean exports from Brazil to China after changes to inspection procedures introduced by the Brazilian government made it difficult for traders to comply, Paulo Sousa, head of the company’s Latin American operations, said on Wednesday.

Souza said the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture has introduced stricter sanitary assessments for soybeans destined for China, including pest and weed testing, following a request from the Chinese government. He noted that the new system is unusual in the grain market.

“We have a standard inspection system in place in trade, with sampling. The Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture has started conducting its own new type of analysis,” Sousa said, adding that this change is leading to different inspection results.

“As a result, sanitary certificates that should accompany cargoes to their destination are sometimes not being issued,” he said on the sidelines of the Argentina Week 2026 conference, organized by Bank of America in New York.

Without certificates, ships carrying soybeans cannot travel.

According to Souza, Cargill has also stopped purchasing soybeans from local farmers in Brazil because it is currently unable to export them to China.

On Wednesday, several posts on the X forum from Brazilian grain brokers and farmers indicated that traders were receiving virtually no offers to purchase local soybeans.

China is the largest buyer of Brazilian soybeans, purchasing approximately 80% of the South American country’s exports. Brazil is the world’s largest producer and exporter of the oilseed.

A company spokesperson said new inspections began early last week. Negotiations are ongoing, but no decision has been made yet, he said.

Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday evening.

Brazil’s grain export lobby, ANEC, said in a statement on Wednesday that exporters have concerns about how they will be able to adapt to the new inspection system during the peak period of Brazil’s soybean exports.

Tags: China, Cargill, Brazil, soybean