Business news for Sun, 23 Dec 2007 & with words added+billion. 2 news.

CHINA imported 21.7 million tons of soybean in the first three quarters of this year, up 2.1 percent over the year-earlier level. Customs sources said the arrivals were valued at US$7.36 billion, up 32.5 percent. The import price averaged US$339.80 per ton, up 29.8 percent. Higher import costs were due largely to mounting demand, a drop in production and rising transport charges worldwide, the sources said. Of total imports, 99.1 percent came from Brazil, the United States and Argentina. Between January and September, China bought 8.43 million tons of soybean from Brazil, down 10.1 percent, and 4.85 million tons from Argentina, down 0.1 percent. Imports from the United States amounted to 8.22 million tons, up 23.4 percent. Of total arrivals, foreign-funded companies made up 13.66 million tons, up 11.3 percent. State-owned enterprises added 4.73 million tons, down 20.1 percent, and private businesses contributed 2.64 million tons, up two percent. To curb price rises for

UNITED States stocks rose for the third time in four weeks, led by energy companies, as higher consumer spending and the Federal Reserve's efforts to give cash to banks spurred speculation the economy will keep expanding. Exxon Mobil Corp and Hess Corp led energy companies to the biggest gain in the Standard & Poor's 500 Index after oil prices climbed for a second week. Earnings reports from Oracle Corp and Research In Motion Ltd drove technology stocks to the second-steepest advance among 10 industries. "You can just feel the tide turning here," said Jim Paulsen, who helps oversee about US$200 billion as chief investment strategist at Wells Capital Management in Minneapolis. "Economic data keeps coming in better than expected and I think it's part of the recovery story." The S&P 500 added 16.51, or 1.1 percent to 1,484.46 last week, bringing its year-to-date advance to 4.7 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.8 percent to 13,450.65. The Nasdaq