China's soybean imports plunged to a 10-year low in April as prolonged customs clearance delays and late Brazilian shipments caused by harvest slowdowns and logistics issues disrupted the usual flow of cargoes, traders and analysts say.
Total imports for the month reached 6.08 million metric tons, down 29.1% from the same period last year, marking the lowest level since 2015, according to Reuters calculations based on data from the General Administration of Customs.
The customs delays have severely strained China's oilseed processing sector from April through early May, tightening soymeal supplies for its vast livestock industry.
Soybean cargoes now take 20-25 days to move from ports to crushing plants, up from the usual 7-10 days, according to four traders, who were granted anonymity given the sensitivity of the issue in China.
"Crushing operations have taken a hit," said one source.
By early May, several crushing plants in northern and northeastern China had to cut output or halt operations due to backlogs, a trader and analyst said, adding that some feed mills ran out of stock and turned to costly spot cargoes.
There has been no official acknowledgement of delays, which come amid the trade war between China and its second-largest soybean supplier. China's customs did not immediately respond to faxed questions about the delay.
China's benchmark Dalian soymeal futures briefly rallied in late April but have since retreated, with expectations of incoming Brazilian shipments putting pressure on prices.
While crushing activity is gradually recovering, market participants remain cautious about potential port congestion if delays persist.
From January to April, soybean arrivals totalled 23.19 million tons, reflecting a 14.6% decline from the 27.15 million tons recorded in the same period last year.
Soybean imports are expected to rebound sharply in May and June with some Chinese analysts and traders expecting monthly numbers around 11 million tons.
However, Brazil's grain exporters association, Anec, said on Wednesday that total soybean exports could fall to 12.6 million tons in May, potentially limiting how much could be shipped to China.
U.S. SOYBEAN PURCHASES DECLINE
While Friday's data does not distinguish imports by country of origin, purchases from the U.S. have continued to decline, said Wang Wenshen, an analyst at Shandong-based Sublime China Information.
As of the week ending May 1, net soybean sales to China for the 2024/25 marketing year were zero, weekly United States Department of Agriculture data showed.
Beijing's 125% retaliatory tariff would virtually halt U.S. soybean imports if no agreement is reached before the marketing season later this year.
All eyes are on the upcoming meeting between Chinese and U.S. officials in Switzerland, where U.S. President Donald Trump expects progress on trade and the potential reduction of the 145% U.S. tariff on China.
