# Trade wars cost U.S., China billions of dollars each in 2018

> A year-end review says the US-China trade war cost both countries billions of dollars in 2018. Chinese tariffs widened US crusher margins by leaving cheap soybeans at home. Chinese mills front-loaded purchases, which created oversupply, and cut soymeal output sharply in summer.

- Date: 2018-12-31 · published 2018-12-31T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: trade · region US · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/61652-trade-wars-cost-u-s-china-billions-of-dollars-each-in-2018
- Commodities: [Soybean Meal](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SBM.md), [Soybeans](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SOY.md)

## Why it matters

Lower Chinese soymeal output reduces import demand, while the crush-driven domestic supply of meal weighs on prices, so the net effect on meal is bearish.

## Read by commodity

- SBM: bearish ▼
- SOY: bearish ▼

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| SBM | 2024-10-17 | [New US-China Trade War Could Cost Farmers Billions \| Farm Policy News \| Illinois](https://feedsoft.ai/events/27846-new-us-china-trade-war-could-cost-farmers-billions-farm-policy-news-illinois.md) | -0.4% | -7.2% |
| SBM | 2019-04-25 | [Farmers have received $8.4 billion in China trade war aid - UPI.com](https://feedsoft.ai/events/59574-farmers-have-received-8-4-billion-in-china-trade-war-aid-upi-com.md) | -1.5% | -0.7% |
| SBM | 2025-12-01 | [How the Lowly Soybean Got Trapped in the Crossfire of the U.S.-China Trade Wars](https://feedsoft.ai/events/21983-how-the-lowly-soybean-got-trapped-in-the-crossfire-of-the-u-s-china-trade-wars.md) | -2.5% | -4.4% |
| SBM | 2018-08-01 | [Why Soybeans Are at the Heart of the U.S.-China Trade War](https://feedsoft.ai/events/64080-why-soybeans-are-at-the-heart-of-the-u-s-china-trade-war.md) | -2.5% | -11.9% |
| SBM | 2018-09-12 | [China slashes 2018/19 soybean import forecast as U.S. trade war crimps buying](https://feedsoft.ai/events/62889-china-slashes-2018-19-soybean-import-forecast-as-u-s-trade-war-crimps-buying.md) | -4.4% | -0.2% |
| SOY | 2024-10-17 | [New US-China Trade War Could Cost Farmers Billions \| Farm Policy News \| Illinois](https://feedsoft.ai/events/27846-new-us-china-trade-war-could-cost-farmers-billions-farm-policy-news-illinois.md) | +1.8% | +2.5% |
| SOY | 2021-07-29 | [U.S. Trade Tariffs on China Near $100 Billion](https://feedsoft.ai/events/45924-u-s-trade-tariffs-on-china-near-100-billion.md) | -2.0% | -6.0% |
| SOY | 2019-04-25 | [Farmers have received $8.4 billion in China trade war aid - UPI.com](https://feedsoft.ai/events/59574-farmers-have-received-8-4-billion-in-china-trade-war-aid-upi-com.md) | -1.8% | -3.1% |

## Sources

- reuters.com: https://www.reuters.com/article/world/trade-wars-cost-us-china-billions-of-dollars-each-in-2018-idUSKCN1OR1JH/

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