Effective July 3, Ethiopian soymeal that meets China's phytosanitary standards and is free of pests will be allowed into the country, the statement said.

"This is part of a broader strategy to diversify supply sources and reduce reliance on imported soybeans. The volume is not expected to be large," said Rosa Wang, an Analyst at Shanghai-based agro-consultancy JCI.

The approval follows Chinese feedmakers securing the first soymeal shipment from Argentina since imports were approved in 2019, an effort to mitigate potential disruptions from the United States (US)-China trade war.

Although China mainly imports soybeans from Brazil and the US to crush into soymeal domestically, direct imports of soymeal remain limited.

In June, China also approved soymeal imports from Uruguay, adding to an expanding list that includes Argentina, Brazil, Russia, and Belarus.

--Reuters--