China’s soybean imports in September fell 13.5% from the previous month, customs data showed on Monday, as an epidemic of African swine fever that has slashed China’s pig herd reduced demand for soymeal.

China last week made its biggest purchase of U.S. pork in two weeks, U.S. Department of Agriculture data showed on Thursday, as Beijing seeks to ease supply shortages caused by the spread of a fatal hog disease.

The USDA is expected to confirm more Chinese purchases next week, traders said, after the world’s biggest pork consumer and hog producer bought 3,375 tonnes of pork from Sept. 13-19.

China’s soybean imports from the United States in August rose six-fold from a year earlier, customs data showed on Wednesday, as cargoes purchased earlier amid an easing in the trade dispute between the countries cleared customs.

China, the world’s top buyer of soybeans, brought in 1.68 million tonnes of the oilseed from the U.S. in August, up from 265,377 tonnes a year ago. That was up 84% from last month’s 911,888 tonnes, according to data released by the General Administration of Customs.

China has given new waivers to several importers to buy U.S. soybeans exempt from retaliatory tariffs, in a goodwill gesture ahead of high-level trade talks next month, two sources familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

The waivers, offered in two batches, total around 5 million to 6 million tonnes, according to one of the sources. They came as China returned to the U.S. soybean market this month.

China will allow the import of soymeal livestock feed from Argentina for the first time under a deal announced by Buenos Aires on Tuesday, an agreement that will link the world’s top exporter of the feed with the top global consumer.

The pact will be signed by Argentine and Chinese officials in Buenos Aires on Wednesday, Argentina’s agriculture ministry said in a statement. Last month Chinese officials inspected Argentine soymeal factories in the run-up to signing the pact.

China’s July soybean imports from the United States jumped three-fold from the previous year, customs data showed on Sunday, as cargoes booked by Chinese state firms during a trade truce arrived.

China, the world’s top buyer of soybeans, brought in 911,888 tonnes of the oilseed from the United States, up from last year’s 308,127 tonnes. The figures were also up 48.3% from 614,805 tonnes in June.
 

China will impose an additional 5%-10% import tax on four US-origin soybean varieties from September 1, the Ministry of Finance announced Friday.
 

This retaliatory tax, ranging between 5%-10%, covers a total of 5,078 trade items of US-origin worth $75 billion, including the four soybean varieties, the announcement said.

According to the Chinese ministry, effective September 1, total import duty on US-origin yellow soybean will be 30%, while 35% import tax will be levied on other soy varieties in total, such as green soybean, soybean seed and other soybean.

 Even though a Chinese trade delegation is visiting Chicago for the annual U.S. Soy Global Trade Exchange meeting in Chicago, there remains uncertainty on how much soy will be traded between the U.S. and China this year.
 

Jim Sutter, CEO of the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC), said that China is still taking about 500,000 metric tons of U.S. soybeans from the “good will” purchases they made earlier in the year. He said the purchases will soon be fulfilled, but then it is uncertain if and when there will be any more purchases.

China has approved wheat imports from the Russian region of Kurgan, the Chinese customs office said on Friday, bringing Russia a step closer to its goal of dramatically increasing grain exports.
 

Chicago soybean futures traded slightly weaker on Thursday, after hitting the lowest level in more than a week on export data showing China had canceled soybean purchases for the first time since April.
 

U.S. Agriculture Department data showed the world's top soybean importer canceled purchases of 9,853 metric tons of U.S. soy last week as the bilateral trade war remained unresolved.

Wheat slid for a fourth consecutive session as freshly harvested grain weighed on markets across the northern hemisphere.