Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he has felt “pain” as China cuts back on US soybean purchases that have left American farmers struggling – since he himself is “actually a soybean farmer.”
During an interview Sunday with ABC News’ “This Week,” anchor Martha Raddatz told Bessent that “American farmers have really suffered.”
Bessent responded: “Martha, in case you don’t know it, I’m actually a soybean farmer, so I have felt this pain, too.”
Bessent – a former hedge fund executive with a roughly $600 million net worth, according to Forbes – owns substantial soybean and corn farmland in North Dakota, according to his government financial disclosure, earlier reported by CNBC.
The land is worth between $5 million and $25 million, and generates about $100,000 to $1 million in rental income for him annually, according to the disclosure form.
Bessent added that a likely trade deal with China would push the nation to resume its purchasing of US soybeans. Trump on Monday signaled he is confident the US will “come away with the deal,” as he is set to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday in South Korea.
American farmers have blasted Trump as China – a major foreign customer – has halted its purchases of US soybeans amid heightened trade tensions.
In 2023 and 2024, China alone bought more than half of the soybeans grown in the US.
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