Following a high-profile meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in May 2026, China committed to substantially increasing its purchases of American agricultural products, targeting $17 billion annually through 2028, with a prorated goal for 2026. This target excluded soybeans, which were pledged separately.

However, recent data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture indicate that in the first seven months of 2026, China imported only $3.9 billion worth of U.S. farm goods outside of soybeans. This figure represents a marginal increase over 2025, which marked a six-year low for those purchases.

While soybean imports have shown significant improvement since late 2023 and are projected to reach 25 million tons in 2026, sales of other key commodities such as corn, wheat, cotton, beef, and pork remain substantially below previous levels. Analysts attribute the slow pace of compliance to a deliberate Chinese strategy to manage political optics ahead of the upcoming U.S. midterm elections, suggesting Beijing is “slow-walking” its commitments to maintain leverage in negotiations.

The lagging agricultural purchases have stirred concern within U.S. agricultural circles and add a layer of tension in advance of a forthcoming summit meeting between Trump and Xi. The subdued progress highlights ongoing challenges in U.S.-China trade relations despite public commitments to expanded commercial engagement.