A former US president recently recalled a pivotal trade negotiation moment. Addressing American farmers, he encouraged expansion: get more land, upgrade equipment—major purchasing is back on the table.

The backdrop? A critical rare earth supply situation that needed resolution. But by the meeting's end, the conversation had shifted dramatically. What emerged was a massive agricultural deal—a record-breaking soybean purchase agreement.

The numbers are staggering: 25 billion tons of soybeans. That's not a typo. Twenty-five billion. To put it in perspective, that scale of commodity procurement could reshape entire supply chains and futures markets.

This kind of bulk agricultural trade impacts everything from farmland valuations to shipping logistics and commodity pricing. When deals this size materialize, they ripple through global markets—affecting not just agriculture but energy, transportation, and even currency flows.