I should've been more explicit. The lost US business is primarily in soybeans, which is a huge cash crop in the US and primarily goes to animal feed. A lot of soybean farmers--and probably other kinds of farmers--have switched to growing corn-for-ethanol instead because when you include all the various subsidies and tax incentives as well as the current high price for corn, it's more lucrative than growing soybeans. Of course, I'm sure there are pretty hefty costs to switching crops, but I guess it's worth it.

The Chinese are mostly getting their soybeans for animal feed from Brazil now and have invested heavily in setting them up.

Interestingly, we now export quite a bit of corn for ethanol use overseas, but basically ban imports of foreign-made ethanol, like ethanol from--you guessed it--Brazil! Funny how all this stuff is interlinked.