SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) – It’s been a tough year for soybean farmers, but some relief may be coming soon.
That’s because reports say China has purchased soybeans from the United States for the first time this year.
This also comes a day before the expected summit between President Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping.
“Having them come into the marketplace again just kind of adds a bump to our price because of the increase in demand, which is really a relief to see a little stronger price as we’re finishing up harvest,” said Chris Matthys, a soybean farmer.
This trade war has cost soybean farmers in the United States billions of dollars, but the ongoing government shutdown adds to the unknowns.
The USDA is one of the federal agencies that are not required to release export or import data, so farmers are left in the dark.
“You can’t make any long-term future plans,” Matthys said. “A friend of mine suggested you might be one tweet away from $8 soybeans, you might be one tweet away from $14 soybeans. It’s that volatile right now.”
Soybean farmers are left living day to day amid the ongoing trade negotiations and government shutdown.
Matthys told us he relies on headlines and social media to get his updates about where the market is.
Copyright 2025 WNDU. All rights reserved.