In September 2023, we highlighted that Brazil, one of the BRICS nations, had overtaken the United States in becoming the world's top corn exporter. The sudden shift of China buying Brazilian corn over the US lacked a clear motive at the time. However, now, a new Bloomberg report reveals the shift appears to be "partly in retaliation" against a wave of legislation aimed at stopping Chinese citizens and companies from owning US farmland.

US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack suggested that China is purchasing Brazilian corn and soybeans mostly in retaliation against Republicans in red states that have enacted or are considering laws barring foreign ownership of farmland