China soyabean imports edge down in February

China's soyabean imports dropped 2.2 percent in February from the year before to 5.42 million tonnes, according to Reuters calculations based on customs data released on Thursday. That marked the lowest monthly volume since October, 2016, but was in line with market expectations as this year's Lunar New Year holiday fell in mid-February. In 2017, the holiday began at the end of January.
China, the world's top soyabean importer, buys 60 percent of the commodity traded worldwide to crush into soyameal used in animal feed. It mainly imports from Brazil and the United States, China's soya imports over the first two months of 2018 stood at 13.9 million tonnes, up 5.3 percent from the same time last year, data from the General Administration of Customs showed, buoyed by healthy demand for animal feed and good margins for crushers.