China soybean meal prices rise amid mutual duty discussions

According to the Global Times, China is considering retaliatory measures against US agricultural and food products in response to the Trump administration’s tariffs set to take effect on Tuesday.

The threat of an escalating trade war has sent Chinese soybean meal prices up nearly 3%, the highest in more than three weeks. Disruptions in US soybean supplies could further tighten the market.

According to OleoScope, the price of soybeans (Daylian) for February delivery was $571.35 per tonne on 28/02/2025, up $25.19 per tonne from the previous value of $546.15 per tonne on 27/02/2025. This is the highest value of this price in a week. The price of soybean meal (Daylian) for February delivery was $483.47 per tonne, up $48.20 per tonne from the previous price of $435.27 per tonne on 27/02/2025.

China responded to Trump’s initial tariffs last month by imposing duties on a range of US goods, including metals, liquefied natural gas and farm machinery, but stopped short of imposing tariffs on the crops themselves. However, during Donald Trump’s previous term, Beijing imposed high tariffs on a range of US agricultural products, including soybeans, which led to a nearly 80% drop in US soybean sales to China over a two-year period. The Asian country has since switched to buying more of the commodity from Brazil.

As of the end of January, U.S. export sales to China accounted for 47% of all shipments, a 17-year low excluding the trade tensions of Trump’s first term.

Tags: China, prices, soybean meal