BEIJING (Reuters) - China’s crude oil imports in June fell 2% from a month ago to the lowest level in 2021 as an import quota shortage and rising global prices curbed buying. Imports totalled 40.14 million tonnes last month, data released by the General Administration of Customs showed on Tuesday, equivalent to 9.77 million barrels per day (bpd). For the first half of 2021, the world’s top crude oil importer brought in 260.66 million tonnes of crude, 3% lower than a year earlier, thanks to bumper purchases in the first quarter, especially by independent refineries. Reporting by Muyu Xu and Chen Aizhu; Editing by Tom Hogue Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.