# Exclusive: China buys U.S. soybeans a day after trade talks - traders

> Chinese state-owned firms bought at least 1 million tonnes of U.S. soybeans, a day after high-level bilateral talks progressed toward a trade deal. The cargoes are slated for April to July shipment, mostly from U.S. Gulf Coast terminals. Purchases by state firms are believed to be for state reserves and so avoid the 25% tariff that still applies to commercial crushers.

- Date: 2019-02-02 · published 2019-02-02T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: trade · region China · magnitude high
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/60471-exclusive-china-buys-u-s-soybeans-a-day-after-trade-talks-traders
- Commodities: [Soybeans](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SOY.md), [Soybean Meal](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SBM.md)

## Why it matters

Large state-directed buying gives U.S. soybean exports a firm demand floor and eases the surplus that built up after China halted purchases. Tariff-exempt state buying also shows how reserve purchases can bypass the tariff for commercial crushers.

## Read by commodity

- SBM: bullish ▲
- SOY: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| SOY | 2019-09-23 | [China buys about 10 cargoes of U.S. soybeans after trade talks](https://feedsoft.ai/events/56922-china-buys-about-10-cargoes-of-u-s-soybeans-after-trade-talks.md) | +0.0% | +5.8% |
| SOY | 2025-12-09 | [China buys U.S. soybeans after Trump trade agreement](https://feedsoft.ai/events/14615-china-buys-u-s-soybeans-after-trump-trade-agreement.md) | -2.0% | -3.7% |
| SOY | 2025-11-17 | [Exclusive: China snaps up US soybeans after pledge to Trump, but at high price, traders say \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/7888-exclusive-china-snaps-up-us-soybeans-after-pledge-to-trump-but-at-high-price.md) | +1.1% | -3.7% |
| SOY | 2019-10-10 | [China buys more U.S. soybeans, record volume of pork ahead of trade talks \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/56423-china-buys-more-u-s-soybeans-record-volume-of-pork-ahead-of-trade-talks-reuters.md) | +0.5% | -0.9% |
| SOY | 2025-11-26 | [EXCLUSIVE: China buys at least 10 US soybean cargoes in new deals after Trump-Xi call, sources say \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/14620-exclusive-china-buys-at-least-10-us-soybean-cargoes-in-new-deals-after-trump-xi.md) | -0.8% | -5.5% |
| SBM | 2022-03-02 | [EXCLUSIVE China buys U.S. soybeans on good profits, despite peak Brazil export season](https://feedsoft.ai/events/14946-exclusive-china-buys-u-s-soybeans-on-good-profits-despite-peak-brazil-export.md) | +5.4% | +1.0% |
| SBM | 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) | -0.8% | +8.2% |
| SBM | 2019-12-10 | [China steps up US soybean purchases as trade talks drag on](https://feedsoft.ai/events/55447-china-steps-up-us-soybean-purchases-as-trade-talks-drag-on.md) | +1.6% | +0.1% |

## Sources

- reuters.com: https://www.reuters.com/article/business/exclusive-china-buys-us-soybeans-a-day-after-trade-talks-traders-idUSKCN1PQ5IM/

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