# U.S. Switches Method to Estimate China's Soy Imports After Data Gap

> The USDA has begun using global exporters' data rather than Chinese customs data to estimate China's soybean imports. The change follows a growing gap between exporter shipment figures and Chinese customs records that emerged in 2023, and the USDA raised its 2022-23 China import estimate by 3.6%.

- Date: 2024-03-14 · published 2024-03-14T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: report · region US · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/14767-u-s-switches-method-to-estimate-china-s-soy-imports-after-data-gap
- Commodities: [Soybeans](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SOY.md)

## Why it matters

The revised methodology changes the baseline for China's soybean demand that drives global balance sheets and price expectations. The effect is a reset of estimates rather than a change in actual trade flows.

## Read by commodity

- SOY: neutral

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| SOY | 2025-08-07 | [China July trade data: exports growth beats estimates as imports recover](https://feedsoft.ai/events/14643-china-july-trade-data-exports-growth-beats-estimates-as-imports-recover.md) | +6.4% | +5.3% |
| SOY | 2023-03-28 | [New method combines commodity tracing and species data to quantify impacts of soy imports on biodiversity](https://feedsoft.ai/events/36903-new-method-combines-commodity-tracing-and-species-data-to-quantify-impacts-of.md) | +5.5% | +0.2% |
| SOY | 2020-07-10 | [U.S. Corn, Soybean Yield Estimates Unchanged, USDA Reports](https://feedsoft.ai/events/11494-u-s-corn-soybean-yield-estimates-unchanged-usda-reports.md) | -0.5% | -1.9% |
| SOY | 2026-08-01 | [Soybean prices need poor weather, exports to China](https://feedsoft.ai/events/18360-soybean-prices-need-poor-weather-exports-to-china.md) | -1.3% | +8.9% |
| SOY | 2024-08-01 | [China's meat sector growth and U.S. grain and oilseed exports](https://feedsoft.ai/events/14739-china-s-meat-sector-growth-and-u-s-grain-and-oilseed-exports.md) | -0.8% | -6.8% |

## Sources

- agriculture.com: https://www.agriculture.com/u-s-switches-method-to-estimate-china-s-soy-imports-after-data-gap-8609440

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.