NSP Urges Progress on Sorghum Trade Ahead of Trump-Xi Meeting
WASHINGTON (Sept. 18, 2026) — National Sorghum Producers today sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging his administration to prioritize U.S. sorghum during next week’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and secure a durable trade agreement that provides greater certainty for American farmers.
The letter thanks President Trump for progress made during his October 2025 meeting with President Xi in Busan, South Korea, and for securing China’s subsequent commitment in May to purchase at least $17 billion annually in U.S. agricultural products, in addition to its soybean commitments, for the next three years.
“China is a market American sorghum farmers and industry partners have worked for more than 15 years to build,” NSP Chair Amy France said. “We appreciate President Trump’s continued focus on creating opportunities for U.S. agriculture, but this is a critical moment. Significant volumes of Brazilian sorghum are reportedly moving into China, and we cannot afford to lose market share that may be extremely difficult to win back. Time is of the essence.”
Historically, close to 80 percent of U.S. sorghum exports have moved to China. On average, those shipments have totaled approximately 5 million to 7 million metric tons and generated an average annual value of approximately $1.6 billion.
The letter asks the Trump administration to:
- Include U.S. sorghum among the non-sensitive goods covered by the proposed U.S.-China Board of Trade.
- Secure the elimination of China’s 10 percent retaliatory duty on U.S. sorghum, which places American farmers at a competitive disadvantage to Brazil and other suppliers.
- Establish a concrete and enforceable annual commitment for China to purchase a minimum of 5 million to 7 million metric tons of U.S. sorghum, or approximately $1.6 billion in value.
- Ensure that the implementation of Section 301 port fees on Chinese vessels does not increase costs, disrupt shipping or diminish U.S. agricultural exports.
The organization also warned that Brazil’s growing access to the Chinese sorghum market creates additional urgency. China approved Brazilian sorghum imports in late 2024, and international trade contacts recently reported significant volumes moving from Brazil to China.
“Farmers need more than announcements tied to individual meetings,” France said. “They need purchase commitments that result in completed sales, vessels being loaded and grain moving from U.S. farms to customers in China. A reliable, long-term agreement would give producers greater confidence as they make planting and investment decisions for the coming year.”
The full letter to President Trump is available here.
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About National Sorghum Producers
National Sorghum Producers represents U.S. sorghum producers and serves as the voice of the sorghum industry coast to coast through legislative and regulatory representation and education. To learn more about NSP, visit www.sorghumgrowers.com.