(Photo: Iowa Soybean Association / Joclyn Kuboushek)
U.S. soy shows global strength despite trade headwinds
November 3, 2025 | Kriss Nelson
U.S. soybeans are standing out on the global market, thanks to consistent quality, superior digestibility and sustainable farming practices. Farmers across Iowa and the Midwest are producing soybeans that meet the high expectations of international buyers, particularly for animal feed.
Superior soy quality
U.S. soybeans stand out globally for their nutrient content and consistency, giving animal nutritionists confidence when formulating feed.
"Brazilian soy is often harvested wet and then dried using heat, which damages the beans," says Grant Kimberley, senior director of market development for the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA). ";A lower lysine-to-crude protein ratio indicates heat damage, reducing feed efficiency and increasing the need for supplemental synthetic amino acids. U.S. soy avoids that problem."
Tom D'Alfonso, director of animal nutrition and aquaculture at the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC), says the consistency of U.S. soy is a major selling point.
"It's really the practices of the U.S. soy farmer that produce a consistently higher-quality product," D'Alfonso says. "For animal diets, having consistency in essential amino acids and metabolizable energy allows nutritionists to formulate rations with higher values. That brings feed cost savings and better animal performance. Research shows U.S. soy consistently outperforms Brazil soy in poultry, swine, aquaculture and cattle."
Jim Sutter, USSEC CEO, adds that timing also matters.
"Farmers in the United States are not going to harvest soybeans early because the quality wouldn';t be very good," he says. "Too high in moisture negatively impacts many aspects of the crop. They let Mother Nature do her work, allowing soybeans to dry down and finish the growing season."
That's different from other parts of the world, Sutter says.
"That's not the case in some tropical soybean-producing countries, where soybean plants are slower to mature and may be harvested at 20–22 percent moisture, then dried in high-temperature dryers," he says. "That process degrades nutrients, oil quality and the overall condition of the soybeans before they reach buyers."
D'Alfonso notes that lower-quality soy adds extra work for buyers.
"Moisture dilutes nutrients in both the beans and the meal. Green or immature beans have lower digestibility, and low-cost drying methods can damage essential amino acids and metabolizable energy," he says. "They have to add nutrients or blend the beans with U.S. soy to make up for losses."
Proving value
That quality difference translates to measurable value for soy buyers.
"U.S. soy adds more than $25 per metric ton in value compared to Brazil, and if you factor in animal performance, that exceeds $50 per metric ton," D'Alfonso says. "Time and again, buyers see that a slightly less expensive alternative doesn't pay off."
For example, a United Soybean Board study found that using synthetic amino acids, a less expensive alternative to soybean meal, resulted in less predictable performance results in swine growth.
"Exceeding maximum recommended levels of L-lysine HCl (and consequently not meeting recommended soybean meal/crude protein levels), particularly in late-finishing pigs (e.g., 180–300 lbs), can severely compromise growth and feed efficiency," swine experts involved in the study concluded.
"Soybean meal provides important functional bioactive compounds, as well as the proper balance of essential amino acids," according to the experts.
Recent evaluations in a large production system indicated performance improvements when using minimum soybean meal levels in the summer months, which reduced the summer weight dip. Functional bioactive compounds contained in soybean meal have also provided performance improvements during health challenged periods of the year (e.g., Jan–April).
"We know pigs don't perform as well on synthetic amino acids or alternative proteins," D'Alfonso says. "Increasing soybean meal inclusion in swine diets improves performance and reduces synthetics. We also look at layers, cattle and even pets. Each new customer adds metric tons of potential soy use."
Sustainability
Sustainability is another selling point.
"Buyers worldwide appreciate what U.S. farmers do with conservation practices," Sutter says. "It allows us to advertise U.S. soy's sustainability advantages. Other countries don't have that opportunity. We're held to a higher standard, and it shows in both quality and marketability."
Export challenges
Quantity and market access remain ongoing concerns, especially with China dominating global imports and regularly accounting for 60% of the market. Other buyers, such as Mexico, the European Union, Egypt and Japan, purchase significantly less.
Kimberley says the 2018/19 trade war highlighted the risks of relying on a single buyer.
"During the 2018/19 trade war, U.S. exports to China fell from more than 36 million metric tons to 13.4 million metric tons. Other buyers increased purchases slightly, but total exports dropped nearly 10 million metric tons, lowering farmgate prices and increasing domestic inventories," says Kimberley, who also grows soybeans and corn in Iowa.
USSEC's work is about showing value, building customer loyalty and ultimately selling more soybeans around the world.
"It's about getting a foothold, demonstrating benefits, and making it costly to switch from U.S. soy," Sutter says. "China still takes 60 to 65 percent of all internationally traded soybeans. Maintaining access to that market is critical for prices."
USSEC continues to develop markets elsewhere, including Japan, Morocco and other regions.
"Diversifying markets is important, but nothing fully replaces China," Sutter says. "Still, higher domestic crushing and soybean meal exports help offset shortfalls. Focusing on quality and sustainability ensures U.S. soy remains competitive."
Competitive value
Kimberley says the U.S. remains competitive from a pricing standpoint.
"U.S. soy is very competitively priced, often less expensive than Brazil from October through winter," he says. "That has helped increase sales in non-Chinese markets. Ultimately, trade with China is still essential to support farmgate prices."
Despite challenges, U.S. soy's value proposition is clear.
"We speak in terms of return on investment," D'Alfonso says. "It takes time to educate customers on essential amino acids, digestibility and calories. Once they understand, they adopt a preference for U.S. soy."
Sutter echoed the point.
"U.S. soy stands out for its quality, value and sustainability," says Sutter, who was raised on his family's crop and cattle farm in Colorado. "I want to thank Iowa farmers for doing such a great job. Their practices allow us to promote U.S. soy around the world."
Written by Kriss Nelson.
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