The federal aid comes after China boycotted American farm products in retaliation for U.S. tariffs.

The federal aid comes after China boycotted American farm products in retaliation for U.S. tariffs.

© Tim Gruber for The New York Times

The Treasury Secretary said on Sunday he recently shed his holdings to comply with his federal ethics agreement.

© Tim Gruber for The New York Times

The Treasury Secretary said on Sunday he recently shed his holdings to comply with his federal ethics agreement.

In an unusual move, Xi Jinping, the leader of China, called President Trump. The two spoke about trade, Taiwan and Ukraine, according to separate official statements.

By withholding soybean purchases and rare-earth exports, China extracted relief from U.S. tariffs and delayed export controls, without conceding much in return.

The Trump administration is hailing a potential deal that may return the U.S.-China relationship to where it was before the president began a trade war against Beijing.

Washington and Beijing both need a trade win as steep new tariffs and tough import limits on critical minerals loom.

Brazilian farmers are lobbying to roll back deforestation restrictions in order to sell more soybeans to the huge Chinese market.