China to increase soybean imports in 2026/27 season – FAS USDA

According to a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Information Service (FAS USDA), China is expected to increase soybean imports in 2026-2027 due to growing demand for soybean meal for animal feed.

The projected import volume is 108 million tons, 2 million tons higher than the 2025-2026 forecast. Demand for soybean meal during 2025 was driven by lower prices, leading to an increase in the share of soybean meal in total supply.

China resumed purchases of U.S. soybeans following a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea, in October 2025, during which an agreement was reached to suspend some retaliatory measures. As of February 26, 2026, according to USDA FAS export sales data, China purchased or shipped 10.8 million tons of its planned 12 million tons of U.S. soybeans.

FAS projects soybean crushing volume in 2025-2026 to be 103 million tons, up from 101 million tons the previous year.

China’s annual soybean crushing capacity is approximately 142 million tons and is significantly underutilized. Typically, the utilization rate ranges from 55% to 70%, with mills frequently adjusting their operations based on crushing profitability.

Meanwhile, domestic soybean production is also expected to increase modestly, thanks to the expected continuation of government subsidies and improved prices for domestic soybeans, which should lead to a slight increase in planting area.

Projected rapeseed production for 2026-27 is 20.2 million tonnes, with a planted area of ​​10.1 million hectares, higher than the 2025-26 forecast and previous estimates. China’s rapeseed imports are projected to be 3.2 million tonnes, based on 4.6 million tonnes of imports in 2024-25 and the expected resumption of Canadian canola exports to China in April.

However, high inventories and stable domestic canola production are expected to keep imports below the high levels seen in 2022-23 and 2023-24.

Tags: China, soybean, imports