U.S. soybean export sales surge

U.S. soybean export sales jumped during the latest reporting week, providing encouraging news for farmers heading toward harvest. USDA data released Thursday showed sales for delivery during the 2026-27 marketing year reached 1.76 million metric tons during the week ending August 6. Agriculture.com reports that was nearly double the approximately 904,000 metric tons sold a week earlier. China accounted for most of the business, purchasing 1.45 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans. An unidentified buyer purchased another 272,000 tons, while Taiwan, Mexico and Vietnam also booked supplies. Corn export sales moved in the opposite direction. USDA reported new-crop corn sales of approximately 925,000 metric tons, down from more than 1 million tons the previous week. Mexico was the largest corn buyer. The stronger soybean sales are significant as farmers prepare for harvest and watch whether Chinese demand can provide additional support for prices during the new marketing year.