# Drewry - Maritime Research Opinions - China’s halt on US soybean purchases threatens Panamax demand

> Drewry reports that China has suspended purchases of US soybeans in retaliation for US tariffs, so no US soybean cargoes have arrived at Chinese ports this season. Roughly 12-13 million tonnes normally move between September and November, and about 12 million tonnes remains at risk over the next two months.

- Date: 2025-10-09 · published 2025-10-09T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: trade · region China · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/22600-drewry-maritime-research-opinions-china-s-halt-on-us-soybean-purchases
- Commodities: [Soybeans](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SOY.md), [Ocean Grain Freight](https://feedsoft.ai/c/OCEANFRT.md)

## Why it matters

The lost soybean flows remove a large share of Panamax grain shipping demand, weakening freight rates and sentiment, and reducing US export competitiveness for soybeans.

## Read by commodity

- SOY: bearish ▼
- OCEANFRT: bearish ▼

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| SOY | 2018-05-09 | [China cutting US soybean purchases in face of tariffs threat \| AP News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/64913-china-cutting-us-soybean-purchases-in-face-of-tariffs-threat-ap-news.md) | +0.7% | -1.7% |
| SOY | 2025-08-11 | [US soybean market skeptical China will follow through on Trump’s purchase request](https://feedsoft.ai/events/14642-us-soybean-market-skeptical-china-will-follow-through-on-trump-s-purchase.md) | +5.7% | +4.8% |
| SOY | 2020-06-01 | [China asks state firms to halt purchases of U.S. soybeans, pork, sources say](https://feedsoft.ai/events/52463-china-asks-state-firms-to-halt-purchases-of-u-s-soybeans-pork-sources-say.md) | +3.2% | +2.9% |
| SOY | 2026-08-01 | [Tariffs, in the way of larger China purchases of US soybeans: market sources](https://feedsoft.ai/events/18362-tariffs-in-the-way-of-larger-china-purchases-of-us-soybeans-market-sources.md) | -1.3% | +8.9% |
| SOY | 2019-05-30 | [China Halts U.S. Soybean Purchases, While USMCA Prospects Unfold Under a new Threat of Tariffs on Mexico - Farm Policy News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/58950-china-halts-u-s-soybean-purchases-while-usmca-prospects-unfold-under-a-new.md) | -0.3% | +2.6% |

## Sources

- drewry.co.uk: https://www.drewry.co.uk/maritime-research-opinion-browser/maritime-research-opinions/chinas-halt-on-us-soybean-purchases-threatens-panamax-demand

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.