BEIJING, Aug. 13 -- China imported 62.3 million tonnes of soybeans in the first seven months of this year, up 15 percent from a year earlier, customs data showed.

In July alone, the country's soybean imports reached 9.73 million tonnes, down from 10.27 million tonnes in June but more than the 7.88 million tonnes imported in the same month last year, according to data from the General Administration of Customs.

The per-tonne value of the soybean imports increased 1.3 percent year on year in the first seven months to 4,334.6 yuan (about 605.39 U.S. dollars).

The country, as the world's largest soybean importer, imported a total of 91.08 million tonnes of soybeans last year. Imported soybeans are usually crushed into meals for animal feed in China.