By Hallie Gu, Alfred Cang and Lucille Liu
Chinese officials are in discussions with U.S. counterparts to buy American crops, including corn, and could reach a deal during U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to China this week.
China could take U.S. corn, as well as products including sorghum and distillers dried grains, according to traders briefed on the matter. Soybeans, a cornerstone of agricultural trade between the two countries, are also part of the discussions, they said, asking not to be identified because they are not authorized to speak publicly.
The negotiations, which are likely to continue during the week, come as Beijing and Washington seek to preserve a hard-won but fragile trade truce. The two sides are hoping to reach a final deal during Trump’s first state visit to China since 2017, the traders said. He is set to meet with counterpart Xi Jinping on Thursday morning.
Specifics are still being discussed, including volumes and timing, they added.
China’s commerce ministry did not immediately reply to a fax seeking comment.
With U.S.-China ties strained by sensitive issues ranging from Taiwan to Iran, geopolitical tensions could dwarf any breakthrough in agriculture trade and ultimately scuttle a deal. Any commitment from China would likely require the two sides reaching a broader agreement, the people said.
China shunned American farm goods for much of last year as the U.S. ratcheted tariffs higher on a host of its products. However, a trade truce struck between the two sides late last year revived flows, with China buying some 12 million tons of soybeans in the months shortly thereafter.
Purchases of other crops have remained more limited, with China’s faltering economy weighing on demand for foreign grain. The last significant purchases of U.S. corn were about two years ago. American shipments haven’t cleared Chinese customs since mid-2025, albeit at minimal levels, official data show.
The corn trade, if it materializes, would form part of China’s bargaining strategy, as Beijing deploys agricultural trade to gain leverage during its negotiations with Washington.
Buying foreign corn appears attractive, too. Domestic prices have climbed after heavy rains damaged some crops last year, and imports in the first quarter trebled versus the prior year, mostly from Brazil and Russia. That’s making U.S. cargoes appealing even with the extra 10% tariff still imposed on American products, traders said.
Still, that increase is coming from a low base. At the height of its imports in 2021, the Asian nation imported 28.4 million tons of corn as falling stockpiles pushed up local prices. Demand substantially weakened starting in 2024 and plunged to just 2.65 million tons last year.
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