In September, China's soybean imports decreased slightly from the record set in August but increased compared to the same month the previous year. The country imported 11.37 million tons of soybeans, down from August's record 12.14 million tons but up from September of the previous year's 7.15 million tons. The first nine months of the year saw a total import of 81.85 million tons, an 8.1% increase from the same period last year, making China the world's largest importer of soybeans. The majority of these imports come from the United States and South American countries.