China's foreign ministry announced this week that Chinese companies would cease buying agricultural products from the US.

But despite the decision by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, numerous Chinese chartering brokers told TradeWinds that they have seen no effect, expect no effect, and have received no official notification from the government or from state-owned charterers of any change.

Several added that the ongoing feuding between China and the US has already changed trading patterns in a way that makes any new boycott of US grain or soybeans irrelevant.