U.S. And Chinese officials have opened talks on expanded agricultural purchases ahead of President Donald Trump’s May 14-15 summit with President Xi Jinping, raising the prospect of new corn deals. The White House is pressing Beijing for larger commitments to buy American farm goods to steady economic ties and support U.S. Farmers, officials and market participants said. Traders and analysts say China has shown interest in purchases beyond soybeans, including corn, sorghum, milling wheat, beef and poultry, though soybeans appear constrained. Officials have signaled that any announcements on purchases could come at the summit or shortly afterward.

U.S. And Chinese officials have begun discussions aimed at expanding China’s purchases of U.S. Agricultural products as the two presidents prepare to meet in Beijing. The talks cover commodities beyond soybeans, with market participants and a senior U.S. Official pointing to potential deals for corn, sorghum, milling wheat, beef and poultry.

What negotiators are seeking

The White House has been pressing Beijing for larger, concrete purchase commitments as part of a broader effort to stabilize economic ties and shore up support for American farm regions. Officials framed the push as one element in a wider agenda to restore predictability in the relationship and to create room for continued engagement, market advisers said.

Traders who follow China closely said the discussions are likely to produce purchase agreements and modalities for ongoing engagement, not sweeping changes to trade policy. Analysts and market participants expect the deliverables to be targeted steps that can be announced quickly, rather than structural adjustments to how the two economies compete.

Rogers Pay, director at Beijing-based consultancy Trivium China, said there's "some space to strike purchase deals for other major U.S. Exports," singling out corn and sorghum as practical candidates. U.S. Exporters and farm-state politicians have pushed for precisely that kind of expansion, arguing that broader commodity sales could offset slower soybean shipments and provide measurable support to agricultural communities.

Limits on soybean buying, and where corn fits

Despite the push for larger overall purchases, China’s appetite for U.S. Soybeans looks constrained. Traders and consultancy analysts cited weak domestic demand in China and cheaper supplies from Brazil as reasons Beijing is unlikely to dramatically expand soybean volumes beyond the commitments it made last October. Market participants say soybeans have been the highest-value U.S.

Crop in past deals, but current factors cap Beijing’s incentive to buy much more.

Mastheads

Reuters reported that in 2024 China bought roughly $4.5 billion of corn, sorghum, milling wheat, beef and poultry versus about $12 billion in soybeans. Reuters also said markets are awaiting clarity on a reported commitment for China to purchase 25 million metric tons of soybeans annually until 2028. Those figures have drawn attention because they help set expectations for how much ground the summit can cover on farm purchases.

For negotiators, corn and other grains offer a practical path. They can be sourced from U.S. Ports with existing infrastructure, and some Chinese buyers have signaled interest in diversifying import origins and product mixes. That makes corn a likely headline commodity should the two sides choose to announce immediate purchases or near-term rolling commitments.

At the same time, market observers caution that Beijing will balance agricultural buying against broader policy goals. Issues such as technology controls, rare-earth management and regional security concerns can constrain how much headway trade talks make. Reporters and analysts identified Taiwan, Iran and technology and rare-earth controls as major topics that could shape or restrict trade outcomes.

Beijing has been rehearsing a wider diplomatic posture ahead of the summit. The briefings noted Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s April visit to Pyongyang as part of an effort to influence regional dynamics and preserve negotiating flexibility, a signal that China sees the meeting as one moment inside a larger foreign-policy push.

Experts framed the summit’s priority as creating space for ongoing diplomacy rather than securing sweeping policy wins. Henrietta Levin, senior fellow for the Freeman Chair in China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said there's a consensus that U.S.-China stability is important. Brett Fetterly, managing principal at The Asia Group, said the summit should aim to produce room for future engagement that could yield further deals.

Some specific details about the trip have been reported by individual outlets. Reuters reported that more than a dozen CEOs, including Brian Sikes, chair of U.S.

Grain trader Cargill, will join President Trump on the trip. That report has drawn attention because business delegations can signal the commercial priorities Washington wants to highlight at the summit.

Market participants say they will watch for two kinds of outcomes: near-term purchase announcements that can be implemented quickly, and binding frameworks for continued engagement that set out how the two sides will manage future buying. Both paths offer political value in Washington and Beijing, where leaders want a predictable trade relationship that eases pressure on domestic constituencies.

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The presidents meet May 14-15 in Beijing; officials say agricultural purchase announcements or rolling commitments could come at the summit or soon after.

This article was created with AI assistance.