China's imports of agricultural products during May 2025 totaled $19.9 billion, almost the same as its imports in May last year, according to Chinese customs data. May was the first month in 2025 that Chinas' agricultural imports did not decrease from a year earlier.
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| China customs administration definition of "agricultural." |
The most prominent changes in China's May 2025 agricultural import bill from a year ago were a $1.13-billion increase in soybean purchases that was offset by a $902-million decrease in cereal grain imports, and a $473-million plunge in cotton imports. Imports of sugar, fats and oils, dairy, cassava, and seafood were up. Imports of fruit, nuts and meat were down year-on-year.
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| Calculated from China Customs Administration data. |
China's imports of Brazilian soybeans soared to 12 million metric tons in May as seasonal arrivals from South America ramped up and inspections at the border accelerated. The May soybean import volume was up almost 3-fold from April, and it exceeded the year-earlier volume by more than 3 million metric tons. Soybean imports from Brazil had been running behind year-earlier volumes during the first 4 months of 2025. Meanwhile, China's imports of U.S. soybeans tailed off to 1.6 million metric tons in May due to seasonal patterns, trade tensions, and tariff increases. Some of the U.S. soybeans might have arrived in April and cleared lengthy customs inspections during May.
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China's cotton imports totaled 276,888 metric tons in May, down more than a million metric tons from 1.315 million metric tons in May 2024. China's cotton import from both Brazil and the U.S. were down sharply.
China's grain imports were sharply lower than year-earlier volumes, as they have been each month in 2025. The cumulative total of cereal grain imports for January-May 2025 is 10.15 million metric tons, down 66.6 percent from the same period last year. Corn imports so far this year are down 94 percent, and wheat imports are down 80 percent from the same period last year.
In May 2025, China imported 188,540 metric tons of corn, down from 990,000 metric tons from May last year. China's imports of Ukrainian corn were down $166 million (706,633 metric tons), while imports of U.S. corn were down $40 million (down 161,816 metric tons), and imports of Brazilian corn were down $7.6 million (down 28,814 metric tons). There were small year-on-year increases in China's purchases of corn from Russia, Kazakhstan, and Myanmar.
May 2025 imports of wheat reached 545,000 metric tons, down from 1.84 million metric tons a year ago. China reduced its imports of wheat from all its trading partners. Imports from the U.S. were down 361,000 metric tons from a year ago, and imports from France were down 617,773 metric tons. China had smaller decreases in wheat purchases from Canada, Australia, and Kazakhstan.
China's May imports of sorghum were 379,000 metric tons, down from 671,000 metric tons a year ago. China slashed May purchases of U.S. sorghum by 526,157 metric tons from last year, partially offset by increases in sorghum purchases from Australia (up 231,2250 metric tons) and from Argentina (up 2,938 metric tons).
May poultry imports were down 25 percent by volume year-on-year and beef imports were down 17 percent, but pork imports were up 11.7 percent year-on-year.
China's May imports of U.S. beef were down $65.3 million from a year earlier, and imports of beef from Argentina were down $95.4 million. Its beef imports from Australia were up $63.3 million and beef imports from Brazil were up $16.1 million from year-earlier volumes. Imports of Uruguayan beef were down $10 million.
China's May imports of U.S. pork and offal were down $20.4 million from a year earlier. Pork imports from Brazil were also down $15.9 million, but pork and offal imports from Spain were up $29.5 million.
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