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Export report: grain/oilseeds complex

CHICAGO: Grain and oilseed export tenders, results and market information as reported by US Department of Agriculture and private export sources.

WHEAT SALE: Pakistan on Tuesday bought 500,000 tonnes of Australian soft white wheat for January and February delivery, a Pakistan embassy spokesman said.

The wheat was purchased at US$116.00 a tonne, free on board (FOB) at western Australian ports. A spokesman at the Pakistan embassy in Washington told Reuters Australian wheat was selected over US wheat because of its lower price.

WHEAT BRAN/RAPESEED MEAL SALE: South Korea's National Livestock Cooperatives Federation (NLCF) bought 6,000 tonnes of wheat bran pellet and 30,000 tonnes of rapeseed meal via tenders on Tuesday, traders said.

But NLCF passed on tenders to buy 5,000 tonnes of ground screen pellet due to high prices, traders said.

CORN TENDER: The Korea Corn Processing Industry Association (KOCOPIA) has invited tenders to buy 105,000 tonnes of Argentina or US No. 2 yellow corn by 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, traders said on Tuesday.

WHEAT TENDER: Iraq is still weighing bids to sell it 50,000 tonnes French soft wheat and 35,000 tonnes any origin wheat and is unlikely to respond until the end of this week, European grain traders said on Monday. The wheat tender is the first under the latest six-month stage of Iraq's oil-for-food deal with the United Nations.

Iraq traditionally buys from countries it considers politically friendly but the process can take several weeks, as seen during its last round of buying in July.

WHEAT TENDER: Sri Lanka is tendering to buy 50,000 tonnes of hard wheat and 50,000 tonnes of soft wheat for delivery in the first quarter of next year, the government's Co-operative Wholesale Establishment (CWE) said on Saturday. The tender will close on January 12, 2000, at 9 a.m. local time.

The statement said shipment for the hard wheat from the US, Canada, Europe and Argentina was set for between January 24 and February 2, while that from Australia and Saudi Arabia had to be shipped between February 7 and February 16.

Shipment of Soft wheat from the US, Canada, Europe and Argentina was set for between February 7 and February 16, while that from Australia and Saudi Arabia between February 21 and March 1. The statement said that CWE was also inviting offers from bulk carriers for the carriage of the grain.

MARKET TALK AND COMMENT: The Indian government has effectively capped imports of (raw) crude edible oils by traders by raising import duties payable by them, trade officials and analysts said on Tuesday.

"As far as crude vegetable oils imports is concerned, the government has now subjected it to actual user conditions," said B.V. Mehta, executive director of the Solvent Extractors Association of India.

"So effectively, only refiners and Vanaspati (hydrogenated oil) manufacturers can import crude edible oils on an import duty of 16.5 percent," Mehta said.

Analysts said this actual user condition was a new introduction with a view to capping excessive imports by traders.

Last on Thursday, the government raised import duty on refined edible oils to 27.5 percent from 16.5 percent to stem a rise in imports. It kept import duty on crude edible oils unchanged at 16.5 percent but through a circular specified that only processors can avail of this benefit of lower duty.-Reuters