Mounting Pressure: China may need to re-engage with trade talks, analysts warn

New numbers show China may not be able to hold off trade talks for much longer. One commodity analyst says the pressure is mounting and warns China may soon need to re-engage.

Over the weekend, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned tariff rates will return to reciprocal levels if deals are not soon reached. Chinese officials were confident heading into the latest tariff talks, but StoneX Economist Arlan Suderman says that confidence may be rooted in a strategic wait-and-see approach.

“Right now, China believes that it is in a better position than the United States, because it can control the message, and it believes that if it waits out Trump, that he’ll lose public support here in the United States, and Congress will clip his wings, so to speak, and then China won’t have to give up anything, because they watch the news. They see the negative reporting, and that’s what they’re banking on right now, so overall, they’re holding out for that, and they feel if they negotiate, they’ll get a worse story.”

Suderman adds that factory slowdowns, layoffs, and rising debt are hurting China’s economy and could be enough to bring them back to the negotiating table.

Related Stories
Despite the need for swift action, many ag lawmakers and industry groups argue that farm aid alone will likely not be sufficient to help farmers without improved trade relations with China.
One trader said the products entering the U.S. are primarily grind and trim, noting that the volume and type of beef, on its own, should not cause a major disruption. However, he says fund traders are reacting heavily to headlines rather than market realities.
Shaun Haney, host of RealAg Radio, provides the latest insight into the timing, expectations, and broader considerations of the potential aid package, despite increasing exports to China.
Higher rail tariffs and tighter Canadian supplies will keep oat transportation costs firm into 2026.
Removing the 40% duty sharply lowers U.S. beef import costs on beef, coffee, fertilizer and fruit, and restores Brazil’s competitiveness during a period of tight domestic supply.
Bangladesh recently pledged to purchase 700,000 tons of U.S. wheat and has also become a new buyer of American soybeans.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Lori Stevermer with the National Pork Producers Council reacts to the USDA’s speedline proposal, the new Farm Bill’s fix for California’s Prop-12, and other policy developments impacting the pork industry.
Weskan Grain CEO Will Bramblett discusses the antitrust lawsuit filed by grain farmers and agribusinesses, and its potential implications on rail competition and market access.
RealAg Radio host Shaun Haney shares insight into Canada’s trade push in Mexico and what it could signal for agriculture and the USMCA moving forward.
Lawmakers request information from CEO Scott Stump over sponsorship concerns and potential implications for the organization’s nonprofit status.
Roger McEowen with the Washburn School of Law reviews key highlights from the House Agriculture Committee’s latest farm bill proposal.
Ethanol output is improving, but weak domestic demand and export headwinds temper optimism about corn demand. Renewable Fuels Association President & CEO Geoff Cooper discusses the latest developments on Federal approval of year-round E15.