BEIJING, Sept 7 (Reuters) - China’s soybean imports fell in August from the same month a year ago, customs data showed on Tuesday, as low crushing margins and high international bean prices weighed on demand. China, the world’s top buyer of soybean, brought in 9.49 million tonnes of the oilseed in August, slightly down from 9.6 million a year ago, data from the General Administration of Customs showed. Crushers ramped up purchases of soybeans in the early months of the year, on expectation of strong demand from a fast recovering pig herd. Shipments slowed more recently, however, as falling hog prices pushed down demand. (Reporting by Hallie Gu and Shivani Singh; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)