Trump raises China tensions with massive new threat on cooking oil imports

President Donald Trump threatened to cut off the cooking oil trade with China as "retribution" for a boycott on U.S. soybeans.

"I believe that China purposefully not buying our Soybeans, and causing difficulty for our Soybean Farmers, is an Economically Hostile Act," the U.S. president announced in a Truth Social post on Tuesday. "We are considering terminating business with China having to do with Cooking Oil, and other elements of Trade, as retribution."

Trump insisted that the U.S. could "easily" produce its own cooking oil, but it was unclear how quickly manufacturers could replace Chinese-based products.

China had not purchased any U.S. soybeans in 2025 after buying around $12 billion annually in previous years. The trade war began after Trump imposed import taxes on Chinese goods.

Trump has repeatedly suggested that a bailout could be coming for struggling U.S. soybean farmers.