Fred Gale

Agricultural Economist

Fred Gale is an independent agricultural economist specializing in China. He holds a PhD in Economics and published dozens of reports and articles on China’s agricultural markets, trade, and policies during 36 years as a research economist in USDA’s Economic Research Service. Since retiring he continues writing his “Dim Sums” blog, long recognized as an authoritative source of information and analysis of Chinese agricultural markets and policies.

A middle-aged man with glasses and a short beard looks at the camera, standing in front of a bookshelf filled with colorful books.

Close-up of green soya bean pods growing on a plant with hairy stems and leaves, bathed in sunlight and surrounded by lush green foliage.

Soybeans Bearish on Supply Strength, Demand Doubts

Insight Focus Soybean prices fall on supply strength and demand doubts...

A large industrial conveyor unloads grain into a cargo ship’s hold at a port. Two workers in blue uniforms stand nearby, and cranes and equipment are visible under a clear blue sky.

Global Soybean Market Set for Further Growth in 2026/27

Insight Focus Global soybean supply is forecast to expand, while deman...

Two large red combine harvesters work side by side, harvesting crops in a vast, dusty field under a partly cloudy sky, leaving neat rows of cut plants behind.

Record Brazil April Soybean Exports as Strong Currency Boosts Prices

Insight Focus Brazil’s soybean exports hit a record in April. St...

Soya beans scattered across and partially covering a Chinese flag, with yellow stars visible among the beans.

China Projects Falling Soybean Imports, But Demand Persists

Insight Focus China forecasts soybean import decline despite rising su...

A green combine harvester moves through a large, neatly lined field, harvesting crops with dust trailing behind, captured from an aerial perspective in warm sunlight.

Iran Ceasefire Shifts Soybean Attention Back to Brazilian Exports

Insight Focus Ceasefire sends energy and vegetable oil prices lower. S...

Close-up of a soybean pod with some beans exposed, set against a blurred background of a sunlit field. The pod and beans are light brown and covered in fine hairs.

Soybean Prices Decouple from Rising Crude Prices

Insight Focus Soybeans have decoupled from surging oil prices. Prices ...

Plastic bottles filled with yellow liquid, likely cooking oil, move along an automated production line with blue and metal machinery guiding and processing the bottles.

Vegetable Oil Prices Boosted by Middle East Conflict

Insight Focus Oil and oilseed prices have surged on the US-Iran confli...

Close-up of ripe soybean pods, some open to reveal soybeans inside, growing in a sunlit field with a blurred background of more soybean plants.

Tariff Ruling Rocks US Soybeans; Biofuels Replace Exports as Key Driver

Insight Focus The latest Supreme Court ruling has upended US soybean t...

A large quantity of grain is being loaded onto a ship using industrial machinery at a port. A worker in blue stands nearby, overseeing the process under a clear sky.

Can China Achieve Trump Claims Of 20M Tonne Soybean Purchases?

Insight Focus Markets respond following Trump–Xi phone call. Chi...

Aerial view of multiple red combine harvesters working in formation across a large, brown farm field, harvesting crops in parallel rows.

Brazil Expects Large Soybean Crop, Pressuring Prices

Insight Focus Brazil’s soybean crop is drawing global attention ...

Rows of green crops grow in a large, flat field under a partly cloudy sky, with sunlight highlighting the plants and a distant tree line on the horizon.

Brazil’s Soybean Export Boom Will Resume in Q2’26

Insight Focus China’s soybean market has tightened in early 2026...

A large industrial conveyor deposits grain into the hold of a cargo ship at a port, with workers nearby and loading cranes visible under a clear blue sky.

Narrowing Soybean Price Gap Helps Restart US Exports to China

Insight Focus China resumed US soybean purchases in November. Rising B...

Soybeans scattered over a background featuring the flags of the United States and China, symbolizing agricultural trade relations between the two countries.

US–China Soybean Trade Halted by Chicago Price Rally

Insight Focus The Trump–Xi meeting fails to boost US soybean sales. ...

A person pours soybeans from their hands into a burlap sack in a harvested field, with a combine harvester visible in the blurred background.

In China’s Absence, Will US Soybean Prices Fall?

Insight Focus China has stopped buying US soybeans cold turkey. But wi...

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