Soybean futures held above $13 per bushel near their highest level since December 2023 as continued Chinese buying supported demand despite slower U.S. export sales. Private exporters reported sales of 192,000 metric tons to China for 2026/27 delivery on September 3, following purchases of 202,000 tons on September 2 and 136,000 tons on September 1. The latest USDA weekly report showed a net reduction of 94,200 metric tons in 2025/26 soybean sales for the week ended August 27, as cancellations exceeded new bookings. Accumulated exports reached 40.76 million tons, while outstanding sales stood at 1.10 million tons. Outstanding sales for the 2026/27 crop totaled 16.28 million tons. Traders also monitored U.S. crop conditions ahead of harvest after the USDA said the soybean good-to-excellent rating fell two percentage points to 58% for the week ended August 30.