China’s selective crop buying tests U.S. trade truce before summit
The mixed signals ahead of this week's meeting in Washington underscore the fragility of a trade truce both sides have worked carefully to preserve.
China has reached the halfway point in its goal to purchase 25 million tons of U.S. soybeans this year, according to recent reports. However, the progress on another agreement to invest $17 billion in American farm products has remained largely stagnant. These contrasting developments, occurring in the lead-up to a presidential summit in Washington, highlight the precarious nature of the trade truce that both nations have diligently maintained.
Agriculture has long served as a point of common ground between the United States and China, providing practical benefits that contribute to a more stable relationship often characterized by economic and geopolitical tensions. With presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping last meeting in May, soybean sales have witnessed a significant surge since then.
Nonetheless, meeting the second commitment to buy $17 billion worth of U.S. farm products appears to be a more formidable challenge, potentially contingent upon Beijing offering tariff relief.
Written by urgent.news from Japan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
