XN000022-1972-06-14 — Page 7

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Wednesday, June 14, 1972

RICE IMPORT QUOTA

The Commerce and Industry Department announced today that

the rice import for the third quarter of 1972 had been provisionally

fixed at 85,800 metric tons (i.e. 97 per cent of the basic quota of 88,000

metric tons).

A spokesman of the Department said that rice consumption is

usually lower than average in the third quarter of the year because

of the warm weather. The slight reduction in the quota takes account

of these circumstances.

As usual, the Department will keep development in the rice

trade under close review, and may issue a supplementary quota during

the quarter should circumstances so warrant, the sopokesman said.

In the five months of this year, Hong Kong imported approximately

156,200 metric tons of rice. Of this amount, Thailand supplied 66 per cent

and China 27 per cent. The remainder came mainly from Australia and Burma.

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