The White House said China has agreed to purchase at least $17 billion per year in US agricultural goods in 2026, 2027, and 2028, in addition to earlier soybean commitments.
The package was announced after Trump’s meeting with Xi in Beijing and was presented by Washington as part of a wider effort to stabilize trade ties between the world’s two largest economies.
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— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 18, 2026
Beef and poultry edge back into the frame
According to the White House fact sheet released on May 17, the agreement also covers market access for US beef and poultry.
China will restore market access for US beef by renewing expired listings of more than 400 beef facilities and adding new ones, while working with US regulators to lift suspensions on remaining plants.
China also resumed poultry imports from US states that the USDA has determined are free of highly pathogenic avian influenza.
The White House announced the details in the US-China trade deal and it's bigger than anyone expected including meZ
— Nicholas Mugalli (@RealNickMugalli) May 18, 2026
- Rare earths unblocked.
- 200 Boeing jets ordered.
- $17 billion in agricultural purchases every year through 2028.
- US beef back in Chinese supermarkets. -… https://t.co/amSmdLyoyg pic.twitter.com/PW6m5CYFtC
Well beyond the barnyard
The trade package goes beyond farm goods.
The White House said the two sides agreed to create a US-China Board of Trade and a US-China Board of Investment to handle trade and investment issues, including bilateral trade across non-sensitive goods and a forum for investment-related matters.
Reuters reported that the new agricultural commitment does not include the separate soybean deal reached in October 2025 and that the latest pledge could lift total US farm exports to China to about $30 billion a year, though still below the 2022 peak.
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A bruising year for farmers
The announcement comes after a steep decline in US farm exports to China during years of trade friction. The US agricultural exports to China fell to $8.4 billion in 2025, down 65.7% year-over-year.
The earlier trade disruptions had hit soybean growers particularly hard, while also cutting into beef and poultry sales.
There was no immediate public confirmation of the full terms from Beijing, even as Chinese and US officials continue to frame the talks as a step toward easing market access barriers.
