China is holding its 10 percent tariff on U.S. soybeans in place following last week's meeting between the two governments, and at least one state grower leader expected exactly that outcome.

"There's lots of polarizing issues that need to be hammered out before we can expect to see the 10 percent tariff come off the soybeans," Missouri Soybean Association President Cody Brock told Brownfield Ag News.

Brock said he was not surprised by Beijing's decision to keep the duty in force after the talks. His read of the negotiation environment is that the tariff is one piece of a broader set of unresolved disputes between Washington and Beijing, and that soybean growers should not bank on near-term relief.

For U.S. soybean producers, the sticking point matters because the tariff directly affects the competitiveness of American beans in what has historically been the sector's largest export destination. Missouri growers, like producers across the Midwest, have watched Chinese purchasing patterns shift since the trade dispute began, and the continued duty keeps pressure on export demand and basis at a time when farmers are already managing tight margins.

Brock's assessment signals that state soybean organizations are preparing their members for an extended standoff rather than a quick fix. The Missouri Soybean Association leader framed the tariff's removal as conditional: the "polarizing issues" between the two countries must be worked through first, and no timeline for that process has emerged from the recent meeting.

Growers and grain marketers will be watching the next round of U.S.-China discussions for any signal that Beijing is prepared to lift the duty, which would reopen the flow of U.S. soybeans to Chinese crushers and importers on more competitive terms.