China Ag Imports Boom--Except for Corn

China's agricultural imports during the first four months of 2017 totaled $39.8 billion, up 17.2 percent from the same period last year, according to data issued by China's Ministry of Agriculture. Agricultural exports were $22.3, billion, up 2.3 percent.

Imports of most items grew at a robust pace, but corn imports were down 82 percent from a year ago, as China focuses on de-stocking its domestic inventory of corn. Sorghum imports were down nearly 20 percent, and imports of distillers grains--hit with antidumping duties this year--are down 77.8 percent. Cassava imports were steady and barley imports were up 170 percent.

China's wheat imports rose 94.1 percent from a year earlier due to tight supplies of good quality wheat in China. Tight supplies of good quality cotton also pushed cotton imports up 43.2 percent from last year.

Soybean imports were up 18 percent. Rapeseed imports rose 41 percent, as imports filled a gap left by lower sales of depleted rapeseed oil reserves.

January-April China Agricultural Imports
Commodity	Imports	Change from year ago
	1000 metric tons	Percent
Wheat	1,685	94.1
Rice	1,339	-0.6
Corn	310	-82.8
Sorghum	2,368	-19.9
DDGS	246	-77.8
Barley	3,269	170
Cassava	3,038	-2
Cotton	570	43.2
Cotton yarn	671	6.1
Sugar	1,087	30.9
Soybeans	27,537	18.0
Rapeseed	1,704	41.1
Palm oil	1,676	16.9
Rapeseed oil	335	-0.3
Sunflower oil	224	23.6
Soybean oil	145	13.8
Pork	453	11.8
Pork offal	433	6.6
Beef	216	16.6
Lamb	99	8.1
Milk powder	400	3.6