China's soybean imports declined to 60.80 lakh tonnes in April
13-May-2025 02:04 PM
Beijing. During April 2025, China's soybean imports dropped to the lowest level recorded in the last ten years, mainly due to prolonged customs clearance procedures and delayed shipments from Brazil, where the harvesting process remained slow and transportation issues persisted.
According to data from China's General Administration of Customs, the country imported 60.80 lakh tonnes of soybean in April 2025, representing a 29 percent decrease compared to April 2024 and marking the lowest April import level since 2015.
Industry analysts indicate that the delays at ports significantly impacted China's oilseed processing industry throughout April and the first week of May. These issues disrupted the supply and availability of soymeal, a key component in animal feed,
leading to challenges for the livestock feed sector. Currently, it is taking 20 to 25 days for imported soybean consignments to be delivered from the ports to crushing plants in China, a notable delay compared to the usual 7 to 10 days. This has resulted in a slowdown in the soybean crushing operations at processing facilities.
From January to April 2025, China imported a total of 231.90 lakh tonnes of soybean, which is 14.6 percent less than the 271.50 lakh tonnes imported during the same period last year.
While the United States previously served as the second-largest source of soybean imports after Brazil, shipments from the U.S. have halted due to high tariffs. In response, Brazil has tried to compensate for the shortfall in supply.
Looking ahead, it is expected that China's soybean imports may rise during May and June, potentially reaching an average of around 110 lakh tonnes per month.
However, Brazil’s grain export association has reported that the country’s total soybean exports are projected to fall to 126 lakh tonnes in May. How much of this Brazil directs to China versus other importing countries remains to be seen.
China continues to enforce a 125 percent customs duty on American products. As a result, Chinese importers reportedly avoided purchases from the American soybean market entirely during the week of May 1, 2025.