More soybeans being processed in United States to meet rising demand for soybean meal and oil

Historically, about half of soybeans grown in the United States were exported. This share has shifted as more U.S. soybeans are being used domestically for crush—the process of extracting soybean meal and oil from soybeans—rather than being exported. For marketing year 2025/26, U.S. soybean crush is forecast to increase by nearly 3 percent to a record-high level of 2.49 billion bushels. The U.S. soybean crushing industry has expanded over the past few years and more crushing facilities are currently under construction. These new investments aim to meet the growing domestic and global soybean meal demand and higher use of soybean oil, especially as a feedstock in biomass-based diesel production. In 2025/26, crush is expected to account for 57 percent of U.S. soybean production, up more than 10 percentage points from 2017/18. The new soybean crush facilities are clustered in several States, including North Dakota, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas, and Ohio. In the past, soybeans from these States were typically bound for Pacific Northwest export markets. With fewer U.S. soybeans being exported and crushed elsewhere in the world, the new crush facilities are creating opportunities for U.S. soybean farmers, processors, and consumers. This chart is drawn from USDA’s Economic Research Service’s Oil Crops Outlook, May 2025.