China's soybean imports rose 14.9% in March on the year, but kept well below analysts' expectations, weighed down by delayed shipments from Brazil because of tougher inspections to rule out contamination, reported Reuters . Total imports stood at 4.02 million metric tons, up from 3.5 million a year earlier, data from the General Administration of Customs showed on Tuesday. "March imports were well below our estimate of around 6.4 million metric tons, weighed down by delayed shipments from Brazil due to tightened phytosanitary checks," said Rosa Wang, an analyst from Shanghai JC Intelligence Co. "However, arrivals rose 14.9% from a year earlier, supported by a low base, as last year's volumes were hit by crushers shying away from US soybeans and delays to Brazil's harvest." Trade sources have told Reuters the checks were prompted by Beijing's repeated findings of pesticide- and fungicide-coated beans among the shipments, besides heat damage and live insects. Over the period from ...