China tightens import specifications on US soyabeans

China, the world's top soyabean buyer, will reduce the amount of foreign material allowed in shipments of US soyabeans as of January 1, the US Department of Agriculture said on Wednesday, a move that may slow imports.
Up to 1 percent of foreign material will be allowed in US soya shipments, down from 1 to 2 percent previously, according to Will Wepsala, a spokesman at USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
China accounts for roughly two-thirds of global soya imports, buying primarily from the United States, Brazil and Argentina. Exports of US soyabeans to China in 2016 were valued at more than $14 billion, according to USDA.