China has indicated its willingness to increase agricultural imports from the United States, provided both countries first implement the agreed reciprocal tariff reductions covering $30 billion worth of products each under the U.S.-China Board of Trade.
“China has always maintained an open attitude towards expanding agricultural imports from the United States, provided that the agreed-upon reciprocal tariff reduction arrangement—covering $30 billion on each side—is implemented,” Huang Ling, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Commerce, said on Thursday.
The remarks came after the Democratic Party’s win in the U.S. midterm elections. Analysts said the outcome could complicate trade negotiations between Beijing and Washington ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit later this month, raising concerns over the Trump administration’s ability to fulfill its commitments.
“Agricultural trade between China and the United States is a vital component of bilateral economic and trade cooperation,” Huang said, adding, “We hope the U.S. side will work together with China to foster more favorable conditions for bilateral agricultural trade by jointly lowering tariffs, reducing non-tariff barriers and expanding market access.”
Following President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the United States in September, Beijing and Washington announced details of the Board of Trade agreement, including the list of covered products. However, the reduced tariff rates have yet to take effect.
On Monday, China’s international trade representative Li Chenggang, an official involved in trade negotiations with Washington, met with a U.S. agricultural delegation, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
The discussions covered bilateral economic and trade relations, as well as opportunities to strengthen cooperation in agricultural trade, the ministry added.
The White House stated that China had committed to purchasing at least 25 million tonnes of U.S. soybeans annually through 2028, in addition to buying an extra $17 billion worth of American agricultural products each year, adjusted proportionally for 2026. An agricultural trader, cited by South China Morning Post, said soybean imports remain the only commitment currently progressing in line with targets, with approximately 70% of this year’s purchase objective already fulfilled.
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