China buys record volumes of Brazilian soybeans in first quarter of 2025

As of March 25, Brazilian traders loaded 22.8 million tons of soybeans onto ships, 17.7 million tons of which went to China, according to analysts at Agrinvest. They note that both figures are “records.”

Brazil’s soybean shipments to China exceed the previous quarter’s purchases of 33 million tons, made by December 2024. They are also 7 million tons more than in the previous season at the same time. Experts agree that the current soybean shipment volumes have not yet fully reflected the effects of the new trade war and that over time, Chinese demand will shift even more from the United States to Brazil.

Analysts also expect Brazilian soybean shipments to China to beat last year’s first-quarter record of about 18 million tons, which is about 2 million tons more than the previous year.

China accounted for 79% of Brazilian soybean exports in January and February, up from 75% in the same period last year, according to grain exporter ANEC. China’s demand for Brazilian soybeans has been growing for years, industry officials say. ANEC previously forecast that Brazil’s soybean exports could reach 110 million tons in 2025. The current season’s soybean harvest is set to hit a record 170 million tons.

Tags: China, Brazil, soybean