An official of the Brazilian Agriculture Ministry has said Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina Dias will visit China this year, Reuters reports.

The news agency says Ms Dias’s purpose is to maintain the good Sino-Brazilian trade relationship in view of the possibility of the United States and China reaching a trade deal.

The report quotes the official, Eduardo Sampaio Marques, as saying his ministry keeps in regular contact with the Chinese authorities.

It quotes another Brazilian official, Orlando Leite Ribeiro, as saying Brazil is keeping an eye on Sino-US trade talks to see how the outcome might affect Brazilian exports of soybeans to China.

Whatever the outcome, Brazil will have insufficient soybeans this year to match the amount it exported last year as Chinese demand surged, Reuters quotes Mr Marques as saying.