U.S. President Donald Trump attends a state dinner hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on May 14, 2026.
Alex Wong | Getty Images
BEIJING, May 16 (Reuters) – China and the United States have agreed to expand trade in agricultural products through tariff cuts and address non-tariff barriers and market access issues, China’s Commerce Ministry said on Saturday after a summit in Beijing this week.
The ministry said the agreement was “tentative” and “will be finalized as soon as possible” after US President Donald Trump’s visit.
China’s agricultural imports from the United States, which still face an additional 10% tax after a series of retaliatory tariffs last year sharply curtailed trade, fell 65.7% year-on-year to $8.4 billion in 2025, according to USDA data.
The Commerce Department said the two sides aim to promote two-way trade, including in agricultural products, through measures such as reciprocal tariff reductions across a wide range of items. He did not specify which product.
China resumed purchasing some U.S. agricultural products after the October meeting, fulfilling a U.S. commitment to buy 12 million tons of soybeans by the end of February. It also purchased a cargo of U.S. wheat and a large amount of sorghum.
Market players expect soybean tariffs to be cut by 10%, which could allow private Chinese crushers to resume purchases that were largely sidelined during last year’s U.S. harvest, when state-run crop traders were the only buyers.
“The reduction in tariffs on agricultural products will signal the normalization of China-US agricultural trade and allow commercial buyers to re-enter the market,” said Johnny Xiang, founder of Beijing-based Agrader Consulting.
The ministry said the two sides agreed to “resolve or make substantial progress” on non-tariff barriers and market access issues.
China said it would work to address U.S. concerns about beef facility registration and poultry exports from certain U.S. states.
The Chinese government on Friday granted five-year registration extensions to 425 U.S. beef plants, most of which were closed after their registrations expired last year, and approved new five-year registrations for an additional 77 U.S. facilities.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Friday that the U.S. expects China to buy “double-digit billions” worth of U.S. agricultural products over the next three years, but neither side has yet announced details such as specific products, amounts or quantities.
