The United States soya bean harvest is under way, and in rural Maryland, farmer Travis Hutchison cracks open a pod to show that the field is nearly dry enough for reaping.

But a decent yield is not enough to secure his income this year, with China – once the biggest buyer of US soya bean exports – halting orders amid a trade dispute triggered by President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariffs.

Soya bean prices “are really depressed because of the trade war”, Hutchison told the AFP news agency.

“I wasn’t against the president trying it, because I think we needed better trade deals,” added the 54-year-old of Trump’s policies. “I was hoping it would get resolved sooner.”

The world’s second-biggest economy bought more than half of the $24.5bn US soya bean exports in 2024. But exports to China

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