Chinese DDGS February Imports Fall 57.2% On Month, 94.7% On Year: Customs Data

Chinese imports of dried distillers grains dropped 57.2% month on month to 3,657 mt in February from 8,542 mt in January, Chinese Customs Information Center data showed Tuesday.

February's imports had a total value of $836,584, according to the customs agency data, down 50.3% from $1.683 million in January.

The imports were down 94.7% by volume and 93.3% by value compared with February 2017's 68,860 mt and $12.527 million, the data show.

Chinese DDGS imports in the first two months of 2018 totaled 12,199 mt, down 88.4% compared with 104,871 mt in the year-ago period.

Almost all imports came from the US, with a total of 3,489 mt. The remainder, 168 mt, came from Vietnam.

China used to be the largest buyer of US DDGS, but in September 2016 it imposed a preliminary 33.8% antidumping duty on US DDGS. It then announced a preliminary anti-subsidy tariff of 10%-10.7%.

China announced its final rule in January 2017, increasing antidumping duties to 42.2%-53.7% and its antisubsidy duties to 11.2%-12.0%.

China removed its 11% value-added tax on imported DDGS in November 20 2017, but antidumping and antisubsidy duties are still in place.