When President Trump met Xi Jinping in Beijing in May, the White House announced China agreed to buy at least $17 billion annually in U.S. farm goods through 2028. Four months later, there is little sign of a broad buying spree. In the first seven months of 2026, China purchased only $3.9 billion of U.S. agricultural products, excluding soybeans — only slightly more than the same period last year. The sluggish pace could become a point of contention when Mr. Trump and Mr. Xi meet again at a summit this week.

Soybeans are the notable exception, revealing Beijing's selective approach. China is on track to fulfill its soybean pledge while demand for other U.S. farm products remains soft. Analysts say this reflects China's dual strategy: showing good-faith effort toward Mr. Trump while preserving leverage and avoiding unilateral concessions.

"The U.S. may have a legitimate view that China is slow-walking the implementation of their May 14 commitments," said Han Lin, China country director for The Asia Group in Washington. China has never confirmed the $17 billion figure, stating only that it set indicative targets. During his first term, Mr. Trump accused Beijing of reneging on farm purchase pledges.