Japan: Oilseeds and Products Annual
Despite a gradual annual decline in Japanese demand for oil, improved crushing margins in marketing year (MY) 2015/16 have made domestically produced soybean meal more competitive, increasing demand for soybean imports. Post estimates imports will reach 3.15 million metric tons (MMT). As the Japanese industry is expected to take advantage of low international soybean prices, Post forecasts that demand for soybean imports will continue at the same level in MY 2016/17. The larger soybean crush is expected to result in a slight decrease in rapeseed imports, and an adjustment to blended oil ratios to utilize the increased volumes of soybean oil. Japan is expected to produce 1.825 MMT of soybean meal in MY 2015/16 and MY 2016/17, and imports of soybean meal are expected to decrease two percent to 1.625 MMT as domestic meal competes with imports from China.
Japan: Oilseeds and Products Annual