December 19, 2003

European Union Issues 9,000 MT Soft Wheat Export Licenses

The European Commission issued export licenses for 9,000 metric tons of soft wheat through its daily "Common Right" or standing refund export license system for the week to Dec. 16, official Commission figures show Thursday.

This means that total European Union soft wheat export licenses issued to Dec. 16 for the 2003-04 marketing year, excluding those issued for wheat flour, total 2.833 million tons.

The licenses were all awarded at a "dash" value, meaning that the actual export refund or tax applied to the exports will not be known until the wheat is cleared through customs.

However, as there is no chance of a positive refund being applied considering the shortage of grain in the E.U. this year, any license currently customs cleared will receive a zero value.

Since the Commission took the decision on July 31 to suspend its weekly export tender until further notice, traders can currently obtain new export licenses only by applying through the daily system.

There were also daily export licenses issued for barley in the week to Dec. 16, with the figures showing that 15,000 tons had been awarded.

This means that up until Dec. 16, a total of 1.039 tons of barley export licenses have so far been issued during the 2003-04 marketing year.

Further, the Commission awarded daily export licenses for 32,000 tons of oats in the week to Dec. 16, so that a total of 139,000 tons of oats export licenses have been awarded during this marketing year.