CBOT soybeans decline amid worries over China's buying pace

CHICAGO, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Chicago Board of Trade soybean futures closed lower on Thursday as traders worried that China may not meet a target, announced last month by U.S. officials, to buy 12 million metric tons of American supplies by the end of the year.

• CBOT January soybeans SF26 fell 13-3/4 cents to end at $11.22-1/2 per bushel.

• CBOT December soymeal SMZ25 ended $4.90 lower at $314 per short ton, while December soyoil BOZ25 declined 0.44 cent to 50.66 cents per pound.

• U.S. officials said in late October that China would buy 12 million metric tons of American soy by the end of the year following a trade truce between Washington and Beijing.

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that China bought 462,000 metric tons of U.S. soybeans on Thursday. So far this week, the USDA has confirmed soybean sales to China totaling about 1.5 million metric tons.

• The USDA separately reported export sales of U.S. soybeans for the week ended October 2 at 919,400 metric tons, in line with a range of trade expectations for 600,000 to 1,600,000 tons.

• The U.S. faces tough competition for global export sales from cheaper soybeans in Brazil, analysts said.