China Seeks Trade Edge, Shunning US Soy in First Since 1990s

For the first time since at least the 1990s, China hasn’t bought any US soybeans at the start of the export season, a sign that Beijing is once again using agriculture as leverage in its trade fight with Washington.

As the world’s top soybean buyer, China wields enormous influence over global markets. Now it’s reviving a familiar tactic of holding back on US purchases — deployed during the first trade war under President Donald Trump — as the two countries navigate a fragile truce.