Soybean futures climbed above $12.8 per bushel, hitting their highest level in almost three years as the Trump administration’s latest biofuel policy boosted expectations for soybean demand. The EPA granted 1.76 billion renewable fuel credits in small-refinery exemptions for the 2025 compliance year, nearly double its earlier estimate. However, the agency plans to shift the difference between projected and actual exemptions into the 2026 and 2027 mandates, effectively preserving the lost biofuel demand in future years. The move eased concerns that expanded refinery waivers would trigger a significant decline in crop demand. Soybeans are a key biodiesel feedstock, making biofuel mandates crucial for demand. Meanwhile, Chinese buying has remained supportive, with US exporters reporting multiple sales to China for 2026/27 delivery, including 333,000 metric tons on August 26, following purchases of 488,000 tons on August 3, 238,000 tons on August 7 and 244,000 tons on August 12.