China lifts bans on US soybean and log imports
Three grain exporters regain access as trade restrictions ease
7 November 2025
1 minute read
By: China will restore soybean import licences for three U.S. firms and lift its suspension on U.S. log imports starting November 10, Reuters reported, citing its customs authority on Friday in another sign of easing trade tensions between the two nations.
The licence suspensions for farmer-owned cooperative CHS, global grains exporter Louis Dreyfus Company Grains Merchandising and export grain terminal operator EGT were imposed in March amid escalating trade frictions.
The halt on US log imports was a retaliatory measure after US President Donald Trump's March 1 order to investigate lumber imports.
Investor sentiment improved after Trump met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea, reducing fears that the world's two largest economies might abandon efforts to resolve their trade disputes.
Following the meeting, Beijing lifted tariffs on some U. farm goods it imposed in March and initiated modest purchases of American farm products, including two cargoes of US wheat.
State grain trader COFCO also booked three US soybean cargoes before the leaders met.
However, traders remain cautious, as a 10% tariff on all US imports - including agricultural products - remains in effect, limiting expectations for a broader recovery in trade flows.
