China Tells State Firms to Halt Purchases of Major U.S. Farm Products: Sources

A man sporting a face mask looks toward pork in the meat section of a Costco warehouse club during the COVID-19 pandemic in Webster, Texas, on May 5, 2020. Adrees Latif/Reuters

BEIJING/SINGAPORE—China has told state-owned firms to halt purchases of soybeans and pork from the United States, two people familiar with the matter said, after Washington said it would eliminate special treatment for Hong Kong to punish Beijing.

Large volume state purchases of U.S. corn and cotton have also been put on hold, one of the sources said.