BEIJING, Sept. 9 -- China imported 71.65 million tonnes of soybeans in the first eight months of this year, up 17.9 percent from a year earlier, customs data showed.

In August alone, the country's soybean imports reached 9.36 million tonnes, down from 9.73 million tonnes in July and 10.27 million tonnes in June but more than the 7.17 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 dipped 1.5 percent year on year in the first eight months to 4,288.6 yuan (about 593.99 U.S. dollars).

The country, the world's largest soybean importer, imported a total of 91.08 million tonnes of soybeans last year.