Brazilian farmers beef up soybean production as China halts business with U.S. during trade fight

China’s tariffs have pushed U.S. soybeans out of their largest market, and Brazil is racing to fill the gap. Brazilian growers are planting more, traders say they’ll “take all they can get,” and government forecasts point to a bigger harvest. U.S. farmers, facing higher costs and softer prices, are looking to alternative buyers and domestic uses like biodiesel. Analysts caution the Brazilian surge may be tactical, not permanent. For producers here, the takeaway is simple: prices—not politics—are steering the world’s biggest soybean customer.

Mauricio Savarese

Associated Press

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