Tunisia's government will no longer control imports of barley or feed wheat and that may help increase US corn, sorghum exports, according to Kurt Shultz, US Grains Council director in the Mediterranean and Africa.

The announcement follows the import of about 700,000 tonnes of barley mainly from the EU and the Black Sea region in 2007-08 by Tunisia.

Tunisia imported only 650,000 tonnes of corn in 2007-08, with US corn accounting for about 70 percent. The lifting of the import ban is expected to increase exports of corn, sorghum and co-products to Tunisia dramatically as barley is currently US$40 per tonne more expensive than corn and sorghum, according to Shultz.

Tunisia may double US corn imports from 650,000 tonnes to 1.3 million tonnes, Shultz said, but warned that the complete transition from barley to corn, sorghum and co-products will take a few years as livestock producers adjust their formulas to the new prices.

"Realistically, you will likely see Tunisia's corn, sorghum and co-products imports increase by 200,000 to 300,000 tonnes and most will likely go to corn," Shultz said.