# Exclusive: Amid coronavirus, China looks to U.S. crops for state reserves - sources

> China is preparing to buy over 30 million tonnes of crops for state reserves, including about 10 million tonnes of soybeans, 20 million tonnes of corn and 1 million tonnes of cotton, according to Reuters sources. The bulk would be imports, mainly from the United States, to fulfil Phase 1 trade deal commitments amid coronavirus supply disruptions.

- Date: 2020-04-23 · published 2020-04-23T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: trade · region China · magnitude high
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/53500-exclusive-amid-coronavirus-china-looks-to-u-s-crops-for-state-reserves-sources
- Commodities: [Corn](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CORN.md), [Soybeans](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SOY.md), [Cottonseed Meal](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CSM.md)

## Why it matters

A large state-directed purchase adds sizable US corn and soybean demand, supporting US prices and export basis. The scale of the plan is significant for feed grain balances.

## Read by commodity

- CSM: neutral
- SOY: bullish ▲
- CORN: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| CORN | 2020-04-30 | [China Boosts Low-Tariff Corn Imports as State Reserves Drop (1)](https://feedsoft.ai/events/53501-china-boosts-low-tariff-corn-imports-as-state-reserves-drop-1.md) | +1.9% | +2.3% |
| CORN | 2026-03-15 | [EXCLUSIVE: US, China discuss farm goods, managed trade in 'remarkably stable' Paris talks, sources say \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/14590-exclusive-us-china-discuss-farm-goods-managed-trade-in-remarkably-stable-paris.md) | +2.4% | -1.7% |
| CORN | 2025-12-02 | [Exclusive: More US soybean shipments to China due to load through mid-December \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/11268-exclusive-more-us-soybean-shipments-to-china-due-to-load-through-mid-december.md) | +0.5% | +0.3% |
| CORN | 2021-03-18 | [Processors Struggle to Source as China Buys U.S. Corn \| Feed & Grain](https://feedsoft.ai/events/5668-processors-struggle-to-source-as-china-buys-u-s-corn-feed-and-grain.md) | +10.8% | +13.2% |
| CORN | 2026-01-30 | [China Turns to South America for Soybeans as U.S. Corn, Sorghum Exports Gain Momentum - RFD](https://feedsoft.ai/events/21112-china-turns-to-south-america-for-soybeans-as-u-s-corn-sorghum-exports-gain.md) | +0.7% | +0.3% |
| SOY | 2024-12-19 | [Exclusive: China's state importer books US soy purchases as tariff threat looms \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/14695-exclusive-china-s-state-importer-books-us-soy-purchases-as-tariff-threat-looms.md) | +3.8% | +8.6% |
| SOY | 2019-06-04 | [Exclusive: Pile drive - China expected to divert outstanding U.S. soybean cargoes into reserves](https://feedsoft.ai/events/58476-exclusive-pile-drive-china-expected-to-divert-outstanding-u-s-soybean-cargoes.md) | -2.3% | +0.7% |
| SOY | 2026-08-03 | [EXCLUSIVE: Chinese state traders make large US soybean purchases \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/14553-exclusive-chinese-state-traders-make-large-us-soybean-purchases-reuters.md) | -1.3% | +8.9% |

## Sources

- reuters.com: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-china-agriculture-exclusive/exclusive-amid-coronavirus-china-looks-to-u-s-crops-for-state-reserves-sources-idUSKCN2250MW/

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