China agrees billions in U.S. farm buys

President Donald Trump’s White House said on May 17 that China agreed to buy at least $17 billion a year in U.S. agricultural products in 2026, 2027 and 2028 after Trump’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. The administration said the commitment would be in addition to an earlier soybean pledge tied to the October 2025 Trump-Xi meeting in Busan, South Korea. The White House also said China would restore market access for U.S. beef and resume poultry imports from U.S. states certified free of bird flu. ### How big is the farm-buying commitment? The White House fact sheet, as described by POLITICO and other outlets on May 17, put the new commitment at at least $17 billion annually through 2028. That figure covers agricultural products broadly and sits on top of the soybean commitments already announced after the Busan truce. (politico.com) POLITICO reported that the agreement emerged from last week’s Trump-Xi meeting in Beijing and was one of the few concrete outcomes the administration publicly identified after the trip. Reuters, cited in search results, and the Associated Press matched the White House figure of $17 billion a year. (politico.com) ### What was already on the table before this? In October 2025, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said China had agreed to purchase 25 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans annually for three years. AP’s October report said the arrangement started with 12 million metric tons to be bought before January and then 25 million metric tons annually afterward. (politico.com) Farm policy researchers at the University of Illinois’ farmdocDaily later wrote that the soybean deal called for at least 25 million metric tons annually through 2028. That timeline aligns with the White House’s new description of the broader farm-purchase package as an addition to soybean commitments already in place. (usnews.com) ### Which products besides soybeans are covered? The White House said the package includes restored access for U.S. beef and renewed poultry imports from states the U.S. Department of Agriculture certifies as free of bird flu. AP and ABC reported the same terms on May 17. (farmdocdaily.illinois.edu) CNBC reported on May 16 that China had already resumed purchases of some U.S. farm goods after the October meeting, including soybeans, some wheat cargoes and large volumes of sorghum. That report said market access for additional farm products was still being advanced after the Beijing summit. (usnews.com) ### What do we know about the Beijing summit that produced it? Beijing hosted Trump and Xi for talks last week, and POLITICO reported on May 15 that the U.S. side returned with hints of deals but limited public detail on several major disputes. The farm package became one of the clearest commitments the White House later released from the trip. (cnbc.com) The administration has framed the purchases as relief for U.S. farmers hit by the trade war Trump launched last year. AP said the White House announcement came two days after Trump returned from the summit. ### What is still unresolved? POLITICO’s May 17 report said officials had discussed beef and poultry market access and described the dollar amounts as having been under negotiation before the White House released its fact sheet. (politico.com) The White House’s public position now is that China will buy at least $17 billion annually through 2028. (usnews.com) The next test is execution. China’s soybean buying pace, beef market reopening and poultry import resumptions will be visible in future trade data and in USDA and White House updates tied to the 2026-2028 timetable the administration announced. (politico.com)