Soybean farmers hopeful for Xi's White House visit

A delegation from the Asia Society toured a soybean farm near Sioux Falls this week as part of a longer visit to South Dakota. The group is gathering grassroots views on agriculture trade from farmers directly affected by tariffs. Yangyang Cheng, a senior fellow with the Asia Society, an organization focused on understanding Asia's role in the world, joined the farm walk-through.

The visit comes as President Trump's tariffs on Chinese goods have hit American farmers hard, cutting off a major buyer for their crops. South Dakota Public Broadcasting reporter Jackson Dircks covered the farm visit, noting that Xi's meeting at the White House is being watched closely by growers who depend on China as a customer. Any shift in the relationship between the two countries could directly affect their bottom line.

For soybean farmers, the stakes are straightforward. China has long been one of the biggest buyers of American soybeans, and losing that market has squeezed farm income across the Midwest. A White House meeting between the two leaders offers a rare moment where trade policy and a single farm's fortunes intersect.

Billions in lost sales, one farm visit, and a lot riding on two men in Washington.