USSEC sees Americas' animal feed demand as an opportunity for US soybean meal

Amid intermittent US–China soybean trade, the main US soybean promotion organization is seeking to intensify efforts across the Americas to promote US soybean meal. It sees the greatest growth potential in poultry, pork, and aquaculture and aims to further expand the presence of US soybeans in the region.

The US Soybean Export Council (USSEC), which builds global demand and market access for US soy and operates in more than 90 countries, will step up efforts to promote US soybean meal in a region with limited crush capacity, USSEC representatives told Platts, part of S&P Global Energy.

"There aren't very many crushers in Latin America, but the existent ones include Colombia, Mexico, and Costa Rica," USSEC's managing director for the Americas Rosalind Leeck said. "So that really means that most of the market is for soybean meal. And given the proximity, we're in a great position to supply that meal, especially for everything coming out of the US Gulf."

According to the US Department of Agriculture, US soybean meal exports totaled 8.06 million metric tons from January to June 2025, rising to 9.43 million mt in the same period in the current year.

USSEC sees opportunities to increase US soybean meal sales in the aquaculture, poultry, and pork sectors across the Americas, Platts was told, while also maintaining and strengthening its long-standing relationships with countries such as Mexico, which imported 1.138 million mt of US soybean meal in January–June 2025 and 1.490 million mt in the same period of 2026.

"Mexico needs more of our attention and resources, and that's where we're headed," USSEC's regional market lead for the Americas Leo Chapula said.

Chapula added that, regarding soybeans in the Americas, USSEC aims to expand the presence of US soy in countries like Venezuela, as political changes occur.

"There's a large presence of US soy" in Venezuela, he added. "We're excited about what's to come and to accompany those changes."

"We want to make sure that we're maintaining those relationships and partnerships," Leeck said. "Because when there are troubles that arise, it's those industry connections that are able to get us through that."

The US Soybean Export Council, founded in 2005, saw the US-China soybean trade climb from around 11 million mt per year in the 2000s to 30.2 million mt in peak years such as 2022. However, purchases from the largest soybean importer have declined over the last few marketing years amid geopolitical tensions, resulting in China's 2025 tariff on US soybeans.

According to data from the USDA compiled by S&P Global Energy CERA, China bought 25 million mt of US soybeans in the 2023-24 marketing year, followed by 22.9 million mt in 2024-25, and 12.4 million mt in 2025-26.

As of Aug. 24, the USDA had confirmed 6.686 million mt of US soybeans sold to China for delivery during the 2026-27 marketing year.

"It averaged 30 million mt across 2021-22 and 2022-23," S&P Global Energy CERA, Aaron Gerdts said. "But Brazil increased its production significantly each year, and Chinese import demand growth slowed, so it made sense that US exports to China would fall."

Brazil-China trade has increased over the years, with China buying 65.54 million mt of soybeans from Brazil in the 2022-23 marketing year, followed by 78.96 million mt in 2023-24, 77.22 million mt in 2024-25, and 85.04 million mt forecast by S&P Global Energy CERA for 2025-26.

"Now Brazil is several million mt above the US," Chapula said. "But at a cost: deforestation and different sustainability standards. The benefits that we have in the topic of production and good practices give us a competitive advantage in those sectors."

"We don't claim to always be the cheapest supplier. That's not our goal." USSEC's CEO Jim Sutter said during a press conference on Aug. 5. "Our quality is to be the highest value, the most reliable, the most sustainable, and the highest quality supplier."

With SOYBEX FOB New Orleans for October assessed at $500.27/mt on Aug. 21 and SOYBEX FOB Santos at $515.35/mt, US prices largely traded above Brazil's FOB market during most of H1 2026. In several instances, the spread widened to $50/mt.