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.