China soybean 2017 imports to fall short of 100m mt: official data

Imports of soybeans into China are expected to reach 96 million mt over 2017, according to official figures from the state-owned China Grain and Oil Information circulated Wednesday, falling short of the 100 million mt some analysts were expecting.

The figures mean that China will have unloaded 10 million mt at ports in December, as imports from January through November reached 86 million mt, according to China's customs statistics, which releases its full year figures on Saturday.

The figures mean that soybean imports into China have risen 15.6% year-on-year, after China imported 83 million mt in 2016.

Total supply of beans in 2017 reached 110.4 million mt, after the country produced 14.6 million mt, the agency said.