Daines Sees “Boeing, Beef and Beans” Deal Emerging from Trump/Xi Summit
Montana Republican says Trump is “engaging, not decoupling” with China as trade, fentanyl enforcement, Iran and agricultural exports dominate early summit expectations
Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) used a Thursday morning interview with Stuart Varney to paint an optimistic picture of the ongoing Trump/Xi summit in Beijing, arguing that President Donald Trump’s direct engagement with Chinese President Xi Jinping could produce tangible trade and geopolitical outcomes — especially for U.S. agriculture, aviation and energy exports.
The interview on Fox Business focused heavily on the prospect of renewed Chinese purchases of U.S. products, enforcement concerns tied to past trade deals, fentanyl precursor cooperation, and China’s role in Middle East diplomacy and the Strait of Hormuz crisis.
Trump-Xi Relationship Framed as Strategic Stabilization
The segment opened with comments from President Trump emphasizing his longstanding personal relationship with Xi Jinping. Trump said: “We’ve had a fantastic relationship. We’ve gotten along when there were difficulties, we worked it out.” He added: “Whenever we had a problem, we worked it out very quickly, and we’re going to have a fantastic future together.”
Daines used those remarks to argue that the administration is pursuing strategic engagement with Beijing rather than economic separation. One of the key lines from Daines was: “He’s not decoupling. He’s engaging. He’s stabilizing this most important relationship.”
Daines repeatedly described the U.S./China relationship as the world’s most consequential bilateral relationship, citing both economic and military considerations.
He said: “You think about China and the United States — over 40% of the world’s economy, the GDP, is between our two countries.”
He also noted that the U.S. and China possess “the two largest militaries,” arguing that direct diplomacy is essential for global stability.
“Boeing, Beef and Beans”
The headline-grabbing portion of the interview centered on Daines’ expectation that the summit will produce major commercial agreements. Daines predicted: “I think you’re going to see a Boeing deal, a beef deal, a beans deal.”
He later summarized the anticipated package as: “Boeing, beef and beans.” The comments are especially notable given ongoing uncertainty surrounding Chinese commitments to U.S. agricultural purchases. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said earlier Thursday that existing soybean commitments under the Busan agreement already mean “soybeans are all taken care of,” which disappointed some grain traders hoping for a fresh blockbuster soybean purchase announcement.
Daines nevertheless suggested more concrete agricultural outcomes are still likely to emerge. Others sources signal more information should come on Friday via comments from U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
Daines’ emphasis on beef was also significant because it came just hours after reports that China renewed import licenses for hundreds of U.S. beef facilities, effectively reopening a major trade channel that had deteriorated during earlier tariff disputes.
For agriculture, Daines’ comments reinforced the administration’s broader messaging that any China trade arrangement would extend beyond soybeans and include multiple sectors — aviation, energy, protein and row crops.
Senate Delegation’s Beijing Meetings
Daines revealed additional details about his recent trip to Beijing, where he led a bipartisan delegation of five U.S. senators. He said the group met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and also met “the premier” inside the Great Hall of the People.
Daines said the talks extended beyond trade and included discussions about the Iran conflict and global energy security.
One notable detail from the interview: “The Iranian foreign minister was sitting in the exact same chair I was sitting in a day earlier.”
That anecdote underscored the degree to which China is positioning itself as a diplomatic intermediary amid tensions surrounding Iran and the Strait of Hormuz.
China’s Role in Iran and Hormuz
Daines suggested the U.S. is actively encouraging China to use its leverage with Tehran to help stabilize oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz. He said: “We’re grateful the Chinese are working with us to bring an end to this conflict, to get the Strait of Hormuz opened up so we can see oil prices drop and gas prices drop.”
Those remarks align with broader administration efforts to pressure China to play a constructive diplomatic role in the Middle East because Beijing remains one of Iran’s most important economic partners and the largest buyer of Iranian crude.
The comments also connect directly to growing market concerns about constrained energy flows through Hormuz, which handles roughly one-fifth of global oil shipments.
Tariffs and Fentanyl Negotiations
Varney pressed Daines on what China would receive in exchange for additional U.S. export sales. Daines pointed to ongoing negotiations surrounding fentanyl precursor chemicals shipped from China into Mexico and later processed by cartels into fentanyl.
He said: “We are making progress, seeing the Chinese stopping some of these precursors that are killing Americans.”
Daines suggested that progress on fentanyl enforcement could potentially justify reductions in some tariffs currently imposed on Chinese goods. He explained:
“One of the things the Chinese could get out of this is reducing one of the tariffs we have in place resulting from these fentanyl precursors.”
That exchange was important because it highlighted that the administration may be linking tariff relief not only to trade flows, but also to law enforcement and national security cooperation.
Trust and Enforcement Concerns
Varney also raised skepticism about whether China can be trusted to follow through on new commitments, citing Beijing’s past failures under the Phase One trade agreement.
Daines acknowledged the concern directly. He said: “The track record has not been good.”
Daines referenced his own involvement in earlier negotiations alongside former Sen. David Perdue during the 2019 Phase One discussions in Beijing. He admitted:
“The Chinese did not live up to that agreement.” That was among the interview’s most candid moments because Daines openly recognized bipartisan frustrations over Chinese compliance failures involving agricultural purchases and intellectual property protections.
Still, Daines argued the administration is now demanding measurable outcomes rather than symbolic diplomacy. He said: “We got to see results, not just talking activity.”
Key Themes from the Interview
Several broader themes emerged from the discussion:
1. The administration is prioritizing strategic engagement over outright decoupling.
Daines repeatedly framed Trump’s China strategy as stabilizing rather than severing ties.
2. Agriculture remains central to U.S./China diplomacy.
Soybeans, beef and broader farm exports remain politically and economically important components of any agreement.
3. Enforcement and accountability are now major priorities.
Daines repeatedly stressed the need for “concrete actions and results” after frustrations with the failed Phase One implementation.
4. The summit extends well beyond trade.
Iran, fentanyl, oil flows and geopolitical stability were all discussed as interconnected issues.
5. Markets are still waiting for specifics.
Despite Daines’ optimism, traders and analysts continue to watch for formal purchase commitments, tariff details and enforcement mechanisms.
