BEIJING, Dec 7 (Reuters) - China imported 7.92 million metric tons of soybeans in November, customs data showed on Thursday, rising 7.8% from a year earlier as cheaper Brazilian beans continued to overtake U.S. beans and dominate arrivals.
For the first 11 months of the year, imports by the world's
top soybean buyer totalled 89.63 million tons, up 13.3% from the
same period a year earlier, the data showed.
The November arrivals were lower than some traders' expectations of about 10 million tons. In October, imports of soybeans surged 25% from a year earlier.
Freshly harvested U.S. soybeans usually dominate the global export market from September as Brazil wraps up its export season, but U.S. imports have been lower than usual this year as it competes with a record crop from South America.
However, arrivals of U.S. soybeans may rebound in the coming months as China has ramped up purchases of U.S. soybeans since November in a wave of buying amid improving ties between the two countries.
The interest in U.S. beans has also coincided with a severe drought in Brazil that has disrupted planting and compromising the outlook in the world's biggest soybean grower.
(Reporting by Mei Mei Chu; Editing by Sonali Paul)
