(Yicai Global) May 22 -- China’s imports of soybeans from Brazil surpassed shipments from the United States last month for seasonal reasons.

China imported USD3.4 billion of soybeans from Brazil in April, versus USD1.2 billion from the US, according to data from the General Administration of Customs. In the first three months of the year, the US was China’s largest source of the legumes.

China is the world’s largest soybean importer. It consumed 107.2 million tons between October 2021 and last September, with imports topping 90.2 million tons. That is expected to rise to 116.6 million tons between last October and this September, with imports likely hitting 98 million tons.

American and Brazilian soybean exports to China are highly dependent on seasonality, Chen Qiang, an agricultural analyst at Mailyard Futures, told Yicai Global.

The US is in the northern hemisphere, where soybeans are generally planted from April to June and harvested from September to November, with exports concentrated between September and December, Chen noted.

Brazil is in the southern hemisphere, where soybeans are planted from October to December and harvested from March to May, with most exports happening between March and June, Chen said.

But this year, Brazil will likely remain China’s main source in July and August also, as the country has had a record-breaking harvest, Chen said.

Brazil surpassed the US to become China’s top source of imported soybeans in 2013 and has kept the title since then. Last year, China imported more than USD19.1 billion of soybeans from the US and USD37.3 billion from Brazil, according to GAC data.

Editor: Futura Costaglione