While in the short - term China needs US soya beans to meet domestic demand , in the long - run it could find other means to get its hands on the commodity . It could sell to other exporters , such as Brazil , or even buy land in China and grow its own crops . On paper, a soybean trade war involving the United States and China makes no sense for either party. As the world 's largest consumer of soya beans , China imports roughly 40 % of the US ' 116.9 million - acre crop . Finding an alternative supplier for China would be devastating for the US market .
While in the short - term China needs US soya beans to meet domestic demand , in the long - run it could find other means to get its hands on the commodity . It could sell to other exporters , such as Brazil , or even buy land in China and grow its own crops . As the world 's largest consumer of soya beans , China imports roughly 40 % of the US ' 116.9 million - acre crop . Finding an alternative supplier for China would be devastating for the US market .