[Industry Alert]China imports less edible vegetable oil last year

China's edible vegetable oil imports fell in 2008 due partly to production driven down by a strike of farmers in Argentina, which had for years been the largest supplier for China.

The General Administration of Customs said on Saturday that last year China bought from abroad 8.163 million tonnes of edible vegetable oil, a decline of 2.6 percent from the previous year.

The arrivals were valued at 8.98 billion U.S. dollars, up 44 percent. The average price was up 47.8 percent to 1,100 dollars per tonne.

The customs administration noted the price change was in response to movements of farm produce prices on international markets.

ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) members replaced Argentina to become the largest suppliers for China with imports of 5.277 million tonnes, or 64.6 percent of the country's total arrivals of edible vegetable oil.

Major imports were palm oil and soybean oil, which made up of 88.6 percent of the nation's total arrivals.

Palm oil imports were 4.647 million tonnes, up 5.9 percent, and soybean oil imports were 2.586 million tonnes, down 8.4 percent.