XN000022-1971-06-18 — Page 10

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Friday, June 18, 1971

RICE QUOTA

For Third Quarter Of 1971

The Commerce & Industry Department announced today that the rice import quota for the third quarter of 1971 had been provisionally fixed at 83,600 metric tons (i.e. 95 per cent of the basic quota of 88,000 tons).

Commenting on the quota, a spokesman for the Department said that

rice consumption is usually lower than average in the third quarter of a

year because of the warm weather. The slight reduction in the quota takes

account of these circumstances.

The Department would keep developments in the rice trade under close review, and might issue a supplementary quota during the quarter should circumstances so warrant, the spokesman said,

In the five months of this year, Hong Kong imported 141,300

metric tons of rice. Of this amount, Thailand supplied 61 per cent and

China 31 per cent. The remainder came mainly from Australia, Burma.

Cambodia and the U.S.A.

Release time: 5:00 p.m.