March 18, 2004

China Imported 3.82 Million MT Of Soybeans In January-February

China imported 3.82 million metric tons of soybeans in January and February, the China Securities newspaper reported Wednesday, citing data from China's General Administration of Customs.
 
Imports in the first two months of 2004 were 88.8% higher than imports in the same period of last year, official figures show. February's imports were pegged at 1.84 million tons, the report said.
 
China's customs office usually announces detailed monthly trade data on the 20th of the next month, but official agencies and state-owned media sometimes have access to the data earlier than that. China Securities is a subsidiary of the official Xinhua News Agency.
 
In January, China imported 1.98 million tons of soybeans, a rise of 53.1% from the imports in January 2003.
 
China's soybean imports in the October-September marketing year are forecast to be 21.50 million tons, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.