December 11, 2003

China Imported 14-15 Soybean Cargoes December 1-10

China received 14 to 15 cargoes of imported soybeans in the first ten days of December, a trader who tracked the shipments said Thursday.

"The arrivals of imported soybean cargoes are pretty heavy (in the first ten days)," said the trader from a Hong-Kong based oilseeds company.

By comparison, China received five cargoes of imported soybeans in the first ten days of November.

Since China extended the validity of its interim rules on imports of crops containing genetically modified organisms Sept. 20, to last until April 20, 2004, 37 to 38 cargoes of imported soybeans have arrived at Chinese ports, said the trader.

In the rest of December, China is expected to receive another 26 to 27 cargoes, he said.

China is the world's biggest importer of soybeans. Chinese customs data show the country imported 18.40 million metric tons of soybeans in the January-October 2003 period, more than double the volume it imported in the first ten months of 2002.