March 18, 2004

China Wheat Imports Up To 150,000 MT In January-February

China imported 150,000 metric tons of wheat in January and February, sharply higher than last year's imports during the same time, the China Securities newspaper reported Wednesday, citing data from China's General Administration of Customs.
 
Imports in the first two months of 2004 are 292% higher than imports in January-February 2003. February imports are pegged at 100,000 tons, the report said.
 
The official customs data is usually released on the 20th day of each month, but government agencies and state-owned media sometimes have access to the data earlier. China Securities is a subsidiary of the official Xinhua News Agency.
 
China imported 424,177 tons of wheat in 2003, down 30% from import in 2002, according to official customs data.