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UZBEKISTAN, REPUBLIC OF, July 11, 2002 -- The Uzbekistan's market for food and agricultural products remains difficult to penetrate. The market liberalization for imported food and beverages is carried out very slowly, with tariffs ranging from 0-30%. New modern retail outlets, which are good venues for imported products, are still small in number, due to certain economic problems, in particular, currency convertibility problems.

TAJIKISTAN, REPUBLIC OF, July 11, 2002 -- No summary available.

TAJIKISTAN, REPUBLIC OF, July 11, 2002 -- No summary available.

CROATIA, July 11, 2002 -- Supermarkets first became significant in the Croatian retail food sector in 1997. Today, 37 percent of households regularly shop and buy most of their food in supermarkets. This has led to a decline in the number of smaller stores. Croatian imports of consumer food items have almost doubled from $267 million 1993 to $416 million in 2000. This report contains a listing of major supermarkets and their sales levels as well as a listing of market research companies active in the retail food sector.

SPAIN, July 11, 2002 -- Upadated sections includes Packaging, Food Additives, Contaminants and Novel Foods/Feeds.

KOREA, REPUBLIC OF, July 11, 2002 -- The Korean economy grew by 5.7 percent in the first quarter of 2002, and the GDP rate for entire year is now forecast at 6.4 percent. The Korean Won has gained 7 percent against the U.S. dollar since January 1 of this year, which bodes well for imports of U.S. agricultural products. Korean imports of U.S. agricultural products were up 1 percent to $1.4 billion through May, with processed foods recording 40 percent growth, seafood 16 percent growth. These gains were offset by lower sales levels of corn and other bulk products.

FRANCE, July 11, 2002 -- In MY2000/2001, French raw cotton imports decreased sharply to 84,000 MT due to a reduction in raw cotton stocks and are expected to further decrease in MY 2001/2002. No major rebound is expected in the French textile industry. The bulk of imports comes from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), mainly Uzbekistan. Cotton yarn and fabric production are expected to remain sluggish in CY 2002. French imports of U.S. raw cotton remained at a very low level but U.S. cotton also enters France in the form of fabrics and textile items, since U.S. clothing brands are very popular in France.

MEXICO, July 11, 2002 -- Total Mexican planting seed imports were valued at over $222 million in 2001, up considerably from $151 million the previous year. The U.S. captured 86.6 percent of Mexico's seed imports, exporting $192 million worth of seeds to Mexico in 2001.

SPAIN, July 11, 2002 -- Spain's food processing industry is the fifth largest in the European Community and is growing. The industry is constantly adding value to its products to meet consumers' demands for healthier, more convenient food. There are significant opportunities for U.S. suppliers to sell both raw materials and ingredients in this market.

ARGENTINA, July 11, 2002 -- The steep peso devaluation (70% as of June 2002) has created a new environment for the Argentine citrus industry, but is not likely to have much impact on trade. The imposition of 10% export taxes, a saturated market, "dollarized" inputs, and the lack of credit are keeping traders from taking fully advantage of the benefits of the new exchange rate. Lemon imports to the U.S. were suspended in September 2001 by a State of California's court, and new outbreaks of citrus canker are likely to further delay new shipments. A record high lemon crop of 1.3 million tons is expected in CY 2002, although 100,000 tons is expected to be left on the trees.

EL SALVADOR, July 11, 2002 -- The Northern triad is not self-sufficient in the production of basic grains and relies on imports to satisfy demand. The United States is the major supplier of yellow corn and rice to the Northern triad. White corn is usually imported from Mexico and South Africa. El Salvador and Honduras are major markets for U.S. wheat. This is not the case in Guatemala were Canadian wheat dominates the market. This report includes June published USDA crop data for 2001-2003.

THAILAND, July 12, 2002 -- Weekly rice price and trade update.

EUROPEAN UNION, July 12, 2002 -- Export refund rates increased for fresh lemons and apples. All other rates (fresh, nuts and processed) remained unchanged.

EUROPEAN UNION, July 12, 2002 -- This weekly report contains data on rice prices in the U.S., Thailand and the EU. It also lists current import duties and export subsidies in the EU. All information will be published as such in the weekly USDA publication "Rice Market News".

NETHERLANDS, July 12, 2002 -- As a response to criticism of the new U.S. Farm Bill, the U.S. Ambassador to The Netherlands sent an editorial to a daily agricultural newspaper, defending it. The Ministry of Agriculture responded that the article delivered a valuable message to both sides.

AUSTRIA, July 12, 2002 -- Dryness has hurt yields on winter grain crops in Austria. According to a recent report by Statistik Austria, this year's total grain production is estimated to be 2.9MMT (excluding corn) or about a four percent decline from last year.

JAPAN, July 15, 2002 -- A summary of current news reports in America's largest food and agricultural export market as translated from Japan's mass media and food press. This issue includes: Carrefour Japan plans to set its own food safety standards for the products it sells; Japanese food manufacturers announce major recall of processed food products containing banned flavorings supplied by Kyowa Perfumery & Chemical Co.; the Tokyo Metropolitan Government finds excessive pesticide levels in Chinese frozen spinach sold at Lawson convenience stores; and the Hokuren (Hokkaido) Agricultural Cooperative plans to expand its food safety inspections of fresh produce by 10% this year.

KOREA, REPUBLIC OF, July 16, 2002 -- No summary available.

PHILIPPINES, July 16, 2002 -- Coconut oil and copra meal exports in February 2002 declined 46 percent and 59 percent, respectively, compared to their levels the previous year. Prices were generally higher during the same period. There were no copra exports during the month.

PHILIPPINES, July 16, 2002 -- Coconut oil exports in March 2002 marginally increased (1 percent) while those of copra meal declined by 63 percent compared to their levels the previous year. A total of 1,600 tons of copra were exported during the month.

MOLDOVA, REPUBLIC OF, July 16, 2002 -- Moldova expects an increase in MY02/03 wheat exports due to higher production and improved export infrastructure. Detailed trade data for MY01/02 wheat, barley and corn exports is part of this report.

ROMANIA, July 16, 2002 -- Extreme dryness in Romania has contributed to low yields for both winter barley and wheat for the 2002/03 crop. Harvested area is estimated at 296,000 HA for barley and 2.24 million HA for wheat. Post has revised down figures for yields to 2.2 MT/HA and 1.9 MT/HA respectively. The grain industry is expecting to import significant quantities of wheat and flour in the coming months, as this year's crop seems to be of a poor milling quality.

ROMANIA, July 16, 2002 -- The GOR has extended until December 31, 2002 the period when a customs duty reduction of 20% is levied for the imports of fresh, refrigerated and frozen offals of pork and bovine from United States and other countries, as imports continue to represent about 50% of domestic consumption. This extension creates a significant opportunity for U.S. meat exporters.

BOSNIA-HERCEGOVINA, July 16, 2002 -- Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) imports around 60 percent of its overall food needs. The market for processed foods focuses on value rather than quality as consumers seek to obtain the most for their money. Food import tariffs are low compared to other countries in the region. Bulk food imports have been supplemented by U.S. food assistance programs that are being phased out. Challenges to exporters include a complicated dual system of government, low incomes, and poor infrastructure. This report contains marketing tips, information on importing foods, a list of upcoming trade shows, and important points of contact.

ARGENTINA, July 16, 2002 -- Exports of Argentine wine will continue increasing in CY 2002 as the peso devaluation has improved the competitiveness of the industry. Imports will continue falling as the higher rate of exchange makes imported products expensive in the current economic environment. Domestic consumption of wine is forecast to drop as inflation in forcing prices up and purchasing power of Argentines continues shrinking. Good weather conditions combined with improved management techniques introduced in the 1990s have produced an excellent harvest in CY 2002.

MEXICO, July 16, 2002 -- The Secretariat of Economy (SE) announced a resolution which mantains the 2000/2001 reference price for red and golden delicious apples imported from the United States. The price is US$0.60 per kilogram or US$11.48 per box of 19.05 kilograms. This resolution is in accordance with the SE original annoucement of the 2000/2001 reference price, which was first published on October 27, 2000 (see MX 0164).

CANADA, July 16, 2002 -- "What's New, Eh?" * Study Shows Nutritional Content of Organic Food No Different

POLAND, July 16, 2002 -- Wheat export projections for MY 02/03 are increased because of higher than anticipated exports of government surplus stocks. Meanwhile, the grain production forecast has also slightly increased due to better than expected weather.

CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF, July 17, 2002 -- Canned food products are one of the few imported processed products that often can be found on the shelves of many retail outlets in China. These products include: fruits, vegetables, tuna, soups, and others. In Guangzhou, these products usually retail at around $1.00 per can.

INDIA, July 15, 2002 -- The progress of the monsoon remains stalled.

CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF, July 17, 2002 -- Dog and cat ownership in China is rising, creating pet food export opportunities. Once a net pet food exporter, China has recently become a net importer of pet food importer. Local retail outlets carry both domestic produced and imported varieties of pet food.

CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF, July 15, 2002 -- Recent heavy rains should not cause great harm to rice production, while they are actually helping corn. Despite WTO entry, imports of grain are not expected to increase much in MY 2001 or MY2002 as domestic grain stocks built up in the late 1990's remain large. Although China says it no longer subsidizes exports, corn exports at prices greatly below domestic prices are set to continue at least through the end of calendar year 2002.

CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF, July 17, 2002 -- According to the results of a recent survey conducted by WineMart of Guangzhou, wine buying and consumption are becoming more popular in China's major cities. However, domestic wine still dominates the local market.

CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF, July 18, 2002 -- China continues to be a major apple juice concentrate producer. During the 2001/2002 marketing year, production is estimated to have reached nearly 250,000 tons. Along with production, exports continue to climb. However, since the U.S. anti-dumping case, China has maintained export price controls on apple juice concentrate.

CANADA, July 18, 2002 -- Opportunities in the Canadian Institutional Foodservice Market are primarily in the healthcare sub-segment: specifically retirement home foodservice.

CANADA, July 18, 2002 -- Canada's seafood imports are growing at a compound annual rate of 6.5% and are forecast to reach nearly 600,000 MT in 2002. The U.S. is the largest single supplier, accounting for 38 percent by volume and 45 percent by value, of total Canadian seafood imports.

CUBA, July 15, 2002 -- The Republic of Cuba's hotel, restaurant and institutional sector is an estimated $100 million market served by European, Canadian, Mexican and Latin American products. If current political strains continue to ease, U.S. food service suppliers should receive a lion's share of the market with our quality and wide variety of product, quick response time and close proximity to Cuba. In addition, U.S. products are well known and appreciated, even though they are not readily available at this time.

MALAYSIA, July 18, 2002 -- No summary available.

MALAYSIA, July 18, 2002 -- No summary available.

MALAYSIA, July 18, 2002 -- No summary available.

BURMA, July 19, 2002 -- Burma exported 84,274 metric tons of beans and pulses in June 2002. The major destination was India.

THAILAND, July 19, 2002 -- Weekly rice price and trade update.

KOREA, REPUBLIC OF, July 19, 2002 -- GDP growth rate in 2002 is forecast at between 6 - 7, doubled from the previous year. In the first quarter of 2002, the Korean economy grew 5.7 percent. Forestry Administration estimates the CY 2002 total consumption of wood products at 27.86 million CUM on the basis of roundwood, composed of the imported wood products of 26 million CUM and 1.55 million CUM of local wood products. Korean self-sufficiency rate of all wood products remains unchanged at 5.6 percent from the previous. In 2002, the wood frame housing is expected to be on track because Korean housing policy focuses on more single family and low rise housing as they have planned. The success of burn test on major structural systems of light weight wood frame houses is expected for the Korean building code to allow multi family food frame housing. Korean government is in the process of revising the entire building code system in an effort to move to performance based standards and is expected to issue a completely new building code this year.

EUROPEAN UNION, July 19, 2002 -- This weekly report contains data on rice prices in the U.S., Thailand and the EU. It also lists current import duties and export subsidies in the EU. All information will be published as such in the weekly USDA publication "Rice Market News".

SPAIN, July 19, 2002 -- Spain's per capita consumption of seafood products is among the highest in the world. Since the catch of the Spanish fishing fleet has been declining, imports now supply more than half of demand. Total 2001 imports were 1.3 million metric tons, or $3.4 billion an increase of ten percent in volume and 7.7 percent in value from a year earlier. U.S. seafood imports reached a record 28,429 tons valued at $70.9 million.

INDIA, July 17, 2002 -- If monsoon activity fails to pick up soon, India's fall harvested crop production, which includes rice, coarse cereals, soybeans, cotton, peanut, and sugarcane will be in jeopardy.