(NDAgConnection.com) – China imported 20% more soybeans in May than in April, as some delayed cargoes arrived, customs data showed on Thursday.

China, the world’s top soybean importer, brought in 9.67 million tonnes of the oilseed in May, up from 8.08 million tonnes in April, data from the General Administration of Customs showed.

The May figures, slightly higher than 9.61 million tonnes a year earlier, were on the high end of market expectations. Poor crush margins in China have weighed down demand from crushers.

China’s soybean imports during the January-May period came in at 38.04 million tonnes, down 0.4% from the same period a year earlier, customs data showed, as high soybean costs and flat demand from the feed sector curbed crushers’ appetite.

Soybean arrivals were lower earlier in the year as bad weather delayed harvesting and exports in Brazil, China’s top supplier of the oilseed, sending Chinese soymeal prices to record high levels.