China’s soybean imports decline in July

China imported 11.77 mln tons of soybeans in July 2026, down 1.78 mln tons from a record 13.55 mln tons in June. However, imports remained slightly above last year’s level of 11.67 mln tons in July 2025, according to Chinese customs data.

In January-July, China’s soybean imports reached 62.16 mln tons, up 4.8% from 61.04 mln tons in the same period last year. Brazil continued to account for a large share of shipments following the harvest of its large South American crop.

Fastmarkets said the July decline from June was broadly in line with the usual seasonal slowdown following the peak in Brazilian soybean arrivals. Meanwhile, commercial demand from Chinese crushers for US soybeans remains limited due to tariffs and higher import costs ahead of the US harvest.

Chinese commercial buyers are currently taking a wait-and-see approach amid prospects for further talks between Beijing and Washington. Market attention is also focused on Chinese President Xi Jinping’s planned visit to the US on September 24.

At the same time, Chinese state-owned buyers have already stepped up purchases of US soybeans. According to Fastmarkets, deals for nearly 5 mln tons of US soybeans for September-November shipment have been tracked since the second half of July, potentially supporting US exports as the new-crop harvest begins.

Tags: China, soybean, imports