# The Soybean Shift: How China’s Diversification Fuels Opportunities in Alternative Proteins

> China is reducing soybean meal use in animal feed under a three-year plan, cutting the inclusion rate from 14.5% toward 13% by 2025. Beijing has also approved rapeseed meal from new suppliers and signed a reported $900 million soybean meal deal with Argentina, priced up to $50/ton below US product.

- Date: 2025-07-08 · published 2025-07-08T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: trade · region China · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/23867-the-soybean-shift-how-china-s-diversification-fuels-opportunities-in
- Commodities: [Soybean Meal](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SBM.md), [Soybeans](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SOY.md), [Canola Meal](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CANMEAL.md)

## Why it matters

Lower soymeal inclusion in China and diversification to Argentine and rapeseed supply reduce demand for US soybean meal and shift trade flows. The price effect is bearish for soymeal, with competing protein sources gaining share.

## Read by commodity

- SBM: bearish ▼
- SOY: bearish ▼
- CANMEAL: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| SBM | 2019-08-21 | [Feed alternatives reducing soybean demand in China - Benison Media](https://feedsoft.ai/events/57649-feed-alternatives-reducing-soybean-demand-in-china-benison-media.md) | -0.9% | -0.8% |
| SBM | 2018-01-25 | [Protein plight: Brazil steals U.S. soybean share in China](https://feedsoft.ai/events/66980-protein-plight-brazil-steals-u-s-soybean-share-in-china.md) | -1.2% | +10.2% |
| SBM | 2018-09-19 | [Factbox: China's low-soy pig diet and the impact on soybean use](https://feedsoft.ai/events/63017-factbox-china-s-low-soy-pig-diet-and-the-impact-on-soybean-use.md) | +1.9% | +7.3% |
| SBM | 2026-01-09 | [The Farmer's Exchange Online Report Shows Changes in China's Soybean Reliance](https://feedsoft.ai/events/21052-the-farmer-s-exchange-online-report-shows-changes-in-china-s-soybean-reliance.md) | -3.0% | +0.8% |
| SBM | 2021-07-26 | [Protein pinch: China's soybean imports to slow over rest of 2021 on curbed meal use](https://feedsoft.ai/events/45921-protein-pinch-china-s-soybean-imports-to-slow-over-rest-of-2021-on-curbed-meal.md) | -0.2% | -0.4% |
| SOY | 2019-08-21 | [Feed alternatives reducing soybean demand in China - Benison Media](https://feedsoft.ai/events/57649-feed-alternatives-reducing-soybean-demand-in-china-benison-media.md) | -1.1% | +3.9% |
| SOY | 2018-01-25 | [Protein plight: Brazil steals U.S. soybean share in China](https://feedsoft.ai/events/66980-protein-plight-brazil-steals-u-s-soybean-share-in-china.md) | +0.4% | +4.0% |
| SOY | 2018-09-19 | [Factbox: China's low-soy pig diet and the impact on soybean use](https://feedsoft.ai/events/63017-factbox-china-s-low-soy-pig-diet-and-the-impact-on-soybean-use.md) | +3.9% | +8.7% |

## Sources

- ukragroconsult.com: https://ukragroconsult.com/en/news/the-soybean-shift-how-chinas-diversification-fuels-opportunities-in-alternative-proteins/

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