Export diversification strategy dividends are highlighted during 2026 Soy Connext 

The U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) has increased its emphasis on global market diversification as the competitive focus for U.S. Soy exports. That was fully displayed during Soy Connext 2026. 

USSEC’s annual global conference gathers U.S. Soy customers, exporters, farmers, supply chain members and industry experts. Soy Connext 2026 welcomed over 800 attendees from more than 65 countries to Chicago, Aug. 4-7, thanks in part to the Indiana Soybean Alliance’s sponsorship. 

U.S. Soy remains the top agricultural export from the United States, despite declines this year partly due to trade tensions with China. Soy exports are projected to grow in the next marketing year (MY), October 2026 to September 2027, recovering much of those losses. 

Two main factors drive the projected increase in exports – increasing soy demand across more markets and a projected return to more normal trade relations with China. Both of those factors were evident at Soy Connext. 

• More than 30 customers from China attended, signaling U.S. Soy’s value to the country. 

• The European Union has increased U.S. soybean meal imports nearly 500,000 metric tons compared to last year, and more than 50 customers from EU-27 nations attended. 

• The Soy Connext delegation from Indonesia represented a market where imports of whole U.S. soybeans track about 500,000 metric tons ahead of last year. 

• More than a dozen customers came from Colombia, the third-largest importer of U.S. soybean meal. 

• Egypt represents a market that has rapidly expanded U.S. whole soybean imports, increasing purchases 27 percent during the past five years and nearly 68 percent during the past 10 years. 

“I have visited customers in Colombia, China, Dubai, Guatemala, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam,” said Chris Eck, a Boggstown, Ind., farmer who attended the event. Eck serves as the Chair of ISA’s Market Development Committee. “I’ve also hosted trade teams from the Americas, China, Japan and Southeast Asia on my farm. I can see that knowing our customers leads to relationships that lead to more profitable soybean sales.” 

Besides China, U.S. Soy export increase 

USSEC analysis shows that U.S. Soy exports to all markets besides China have increased approximately 6.6 percent more than this time last year (through mid-August 2026), on top of a record set in 2024. USSEC believes that is evidence that more countries are recognizing the U.S. Soy advantages in value, quality, reliability and sustainability. 

“We have found that U.S. Soy offers better digestibility, especially for our chickens,” said Soy Connext attendee Amir Boussouf, general manager of Milavita, an integrated poultry and dairy operation in Algeria with its own feed mill. “We see digestibility problems with soybean meal from soybeans of other origins, while we have zero problems with U.S. Soy. So, we buy soybean meal from crushers when we know they are using U.S. soybeans.” 

The Soy Connext agenda reinforced those advantages with insights from industry experts, panel discussions and countless conversations across the supply chain. The Trade Team Invitational alone connected 134 key buyers and 42 exporter companies through one-on-one meetings to strengthen trade relationships and conduct business. Many attendees also participated in trade team tours before and after the conference. Following Soy Connext, Eck hosted a group of customers from China on his farm. The group also visited a Bunge facility, Fischer Food Grade & Seed, Everett Farms and Seed and the Indiana Corn and Soybean Innovation Center at Purdue University. 

“During Soy Connext, I talked with a non-GMO soybean importer from west Africa who had questions about quality and more,” Eck said. “It’s amazing to have access to so many buyers in one place, this close to Indiana.” 

Meeting growing global demand 

Soy Connext emphasized the ability of U.S. Soy, including Indiana farmers, to meet growing global demand for protein and oil. Global soybean stocks are projected to tighten even as U.S. and global soybean production grows. 

Domestic crush is also expanding, and Indiana has capacity to crush all of its 2025 soybean crop of 320.4 million bushels. Yet the 2026 U.S. soybean crop is forecast at a record level of 4.5 billion bushels, with Indiana production estimated at nearly 26 million bushels more than last year. 

Plus, U.S. soybean meal exports totaled a record 16.3 million metric tons (MMT) in MY 2024-25. Through two-thirds of MY 2025-26, soybean meal exports track roughly 1.4 MMT ahead of that pace. 

“Market diversification benefits everyone,” Eck added. “If more of our neighbors are shipping soybeans elsewhere, that raises the basis for those raising commodity soybeans. Plus, diverse markets create more opportunities for specialty soybean growers.” 

Indiana farmers will continue to benefit from USSEC’s export diversification strategy and efforts to demonstrate the value, reliability, quality and sustainability of U.S. Soy. As global markets experience these advantages, demand for Indiana soybeans will grow.