Soybean futures held above $12.2 per bushel, staying near a four-week high as weaker US crop conditions and fresh export demand supported prices. The USDA’s national soybean rating dipped over the past week, with the share of the crop rated good-to-excellent falling 1 percentage point to 60% for the week ended August 23. Although 91% of the crop had reached the pod-setting stage, traders remain focused on whether further deterioration could reduce production potential and tighten the balance sheet ahead of harvest. Meanwhile, private exporters reported a sale of 132,000 tonnes of new-crop US soybeans to an unknown destination, with traders speculating that China could be the buyer. The potential purchase comes as US-China trade tensions remain in focus, with the prospect of new US tariffs on Chinese goods adding uncertainty around future soybean demand. Markets are also watching a potential late-September meeting between Trump and Xi that could shape agricultural trade.