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POLAND, June 20, 2002 -- Newly announced additional Polish government spending on agricultural supports will have negligible impact on grain and meat production and trade. The government is also proposing to withdraw its previously agreed to duty free access for EU grain for the July - September 2002 period; a proposal not welcomed by EU authorities.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, June 20, 2002 -- No summary available.

TAIWAN, June 21, 2002 -- As of mid-June 2002, the U.S. had an unprecedented 60 percent of the cotton market with total exports of more than 700,000 bales. However, Taiwan's total MY01/02 cotton imports are not expected to return to earlier levels because of high stocks and the slow decline in Taiwan's textile industry. By 2003, imports should recover slightly as Taiwan's stocks fall. In the years to come, cotton imports are expected to shrink as Taiwan's textile industry contracts and moves overseas.

INDIA, June 21, 2002 -- Wheat procurement is down reflecting a lower production. The government's export subsidy program combined with firm international prices have made Indian rice higly competitive.

ROMANIA, June 21, 2002 -- No summary available.

EUROPEAN UNION, June 21, 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".

CHILE, June 21, 2002 -- The Government of Chile has recently announced new, lower price band levels for 2002/03 for wheat, sugar and vegetable oils.

UNITED KINGDOM, June 21, 2002 -- CY2002 UK asparagus production is forecast at 1,980 MT, a considerable increase on the poor harvest of 2001. Imports are forecast to fal from the levels seen in CY2001, when the trade looked to overseas suppliers to make up the shortfall in the domestic harvest. Consequently, CY2002 imports are forecast at 4,400 MT. The U.S. remains a major source for imported asparagus, although Spain and Peru have strengthened their market share.

PAKISTAN, June 21, 2002 -- No summary available.

PERU, June 21, 2002 -- Asparagus production in Peru is expected to be 195,000 Metric Tons for MY 2002. Post forecasts a growth of five percent for MY2003 to 205,000 MT Exports of processed asparagus reached 48,000 MT in 2001, while fresh exports were 42,000 MT. Asparagus growers continue concern about limited international demand contrasting with increasing supply with the consequent price fall

JAPAN, June 21, 2002 -- This issue begins a new simplified look for this report. Key upcoming marketing activities of the U.S. Agricultural Trade Offices in Japan (Tokyo and Osaka) over the next several months include a food service showcase for wholesalers in Nagoya on June 20, a regional retail showcase in Sapporo on July 12, a single-buyer showcase with Tokyo Disney on August 21, the Great American Food Show Kansai in Inter-Food Osaka 2002 on September 3-4, a U.S. pavilion at the Toho food service wholesaler show in Fukuoka on September 5, and a regional retail showcase in Fukushima on September 20.

TURKEY, June 24, 2002 -- The Turkish Grain Board (TMO) has announced MY 2002 procurement prices for grains. Most prices were increased by about forty percent in Turkish Lira (TL) terms, which is significantly lower than the rate of inflation during the last twelve months. Prices decreased in US dollars. TMO also announced relatively high selling prices which, combined with low purchasing prices, should encourage farmers to sell their grain directly to mills or private traders.

SOUTH AFRICA, REPUBLIC OF, June 24, 2002 -- South Africa's main oilseed crops are expected to reach 1.127 million tons this year, up from 1.076 million tons in 2001. This is mainly due to a 21% increase, to 805,000 tons, in sunflower production. Oilseed trade is small. Protein meal production is based on sunflower meal with the shortfall made up by soybean meal imports which is expected to reach 500,000 tons this year. Sunflower oil is the most important oil produced with the shortfall made up of sun- and soy oil imports.

VENEZUELA, June 24, 2002 -- No summary available.

TAIWAN, June 24, 2002 -- Taiwan delayed its First Public Rice Tender originally set for June 12-14 for technical and price reasons. It will revise its tender documents and re-run the tender in early July. COA also announced its selling guidelines for publically imported rice sold on the Taiwan market. COA also delayed private rice quota allocation when the mark-up fell to NT$14.26.kg.

BURMA, June 25, 2002 -- Burma exported 124,991 metric tons of beans and pulses in May 2002. The major destination was India.

THAILAND, June 25, 2002 -- Weekly rice price and trade update.

BRAZIL, June 25, 2002 -- Total Brazilian orange crop for MY 2002/03 is forecast at 441 MBx, up from the previous season. Good yields are expected in the São Paulo commercial growing area due to uniform blossoming, good weather conditions and better grove management. The citrus industry has expressed major concern with the "Sudden Death of Citrus" disease, a recently identified situation affecting western Minas Gerais and northen São Paulo. Total MY 2002/03 FCOJ production is forecast at 1.269 MMT, up 30 percent from the previous season, resulting from higher fruit availability for processing and increasing worldwide demand. FCOJ exports for MY 2001/02 were revised upward to 1.135 MMT.

COLOMBIA, June 25, 2002 -- Post organized a tele-conference to promote the entrance of premium Californian wine to the Colombian market.

CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF, June 26, 2002 -- Nation-wide statistics for 2001 fresh peach planting acreage and production are 903,000 hectares and nearly 3 million metric tons. Canned peach fruit production statistics are unavailable. Fresh peach and other fruit production is expected to increase. Forecasts for increased imports of fresh or canned peaches are mixed while forecasts for export growth of canned peaches appears strong. It is estimated that about 80 percent of peach exports are white peach varieties.

CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF, June 26, 2002 -- ATO Guangzhou launches a product assessment support service (PASS) to help introduce new food products to South China. In cooperation with ATO Hong Kong, it also plans to assist a target supermarket to source U.S. food products. Interested exporters are requested to contact Guangzhou or Hong Kong.

CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF, June 26, 2002 -- The Hawaii International Hotel at Nanning, Guangxi offers a unique opportunity for the import of American food products and entertainment.

CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF, June 26, 2002 -- China's annual strawberry production now surpasses 120,000 tons. The fruit is grown in nearly every province in China, but as with most other domestic fruits Chinese strawberries are available for only short periods of time every year. China's strawberry exports are far greater than its imports.

CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF, June 26, 2002 -- Despite the adoption of centralized purchasing by local Chinese supermarket chains, direct importation by these chains has been hampered by the chain's small sizes. A couple of recent developments in the local supermarket industry might be signaling the beginning of a change in this situation.

INDIA, June 21, 2002 -- Timely arrival of the monsoon has provided a good start for the planting of monsoon season crops.

MEXICO, June 26, 2002 -- Potato Domestic Production vs Imported Potato*U.S. Farm Bill a Threat for Medium and Large Producers*Fox Threatens U.S. Agriculture*Economy Secretary Supports NAFTA*Another Antidumping Threat in the Making*NAFTA Group to Study Transgenic Corn in Mexico*Unilever to Expand Investment in Mexico*Mexican Trucks to Roll on U.S. Highways Soon*U.S. to Fund Feasibility Studies of Mexican Transport Upgrades

CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF, June 28, 2002 -- China's imports of forest products continue to grow rapidly. Continued efforts to preserve natural forests and improve harvesting practices have limited domestic supplies. At the same time, rising incomes and the government's efforts to improve the quality of housing are causing demand to rise.

CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF, June 25, 2002 -- This is an UNOFFICIAL translation of the People's Republic of China Export Food Labeling Management Regulation and should be used as a guide only. Exporters should carefully discuss regulations and their application with Chinese importers to ensure that their interpretation of the regulations is accurate.

CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF, June 25, 2002 -- This is an UNOFFICIAL translation of the People's Republic of China Grain and Feed Import and Export Regulations and should be used as a guide only. Exporters should carefully discuss regulations and their application with Chinese importers to ensure that their interpretation of the regulations is accurate.

INDONESIA, June 27, 2002 -- The market in Indonesia for prime cuts of beef is small, mainly limited to the higher class hotel and restaurant sector. However, a significant market exists for seconday cuts and offals - especially beef livers. For poultry products, the ban on chicken leg quarters remains in effect but represents a good market once the ban is lifted. Duck has good potential into the Bali tourism sector as duck is a traditional Balinese dish, while ATO Jakarta is working on developing a market for turkey cuts - namely thigh meat - and MDM through the Quality Sample Program.

JAPAN, June 25, 2002 -- In what could turn out to be one of the world's largest food recalls, hundreds of Japanese food products are expected to be pulled from the market because they contain one of three food additives which are not approved for use in Japan. The additives, Acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde and castor oil, are approved in both the EU and the United States, but not in Japan. They were contained in flavorings marketed by Kyowa Flavoring Chemical Company. To date, no imported food products have been affected by the recalls. This latest rash of food recalls will further heighten consumer concerns about the safety of Japan's food supply.

VIETNAM, June 27, 2002 -- Vietnamese cotton imports rose by 16% in 2001 to slightly more than 88 thousand metric tons, with U.S. exports capturing a significant share. The Government of Vietnam has developed an ambitious plan, including high support prices, to dramatically boost domestic cotton production. Following ratification of the U.S.-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement, and some increases in European quota allocations, the Vietnamese textile and garment industries hope to increase exports by 17% this year. Vietnam's cotton PS&D and trade data are also provided.

INDONESIA, June 27, 2002 -- Facing high overhead costs, an unpredictable policy and institutional backdrop, and a shortage of raw materials, Indonesia's plywood output is forecast to continue declining in the near term. As forest resources continue to deteriorate and illegal logging persists, GOI has taken several steps to enhance the regulatory environment governing forest resource management, including a ban on log exports and mandatory certification of sustainable forest practices. Nonetheless, these policy tools will need to be implemented effectively to have any practical impact.

CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF, June 27, 2002 -- The sustained growth of U.S. farmed mink and other fur exports to China since initial market entry in 1997 is an exemplary success story for American agricultural exports. After several years of persistent market development, China has become the number one market for the U.S. mink industry, recently accounting for more than 46% of American production. Each February and May for the past two years, Hong Kong and China buyers have dominated the major auctions held by the Seattle Fur Exchange (American Legend Cooperative) and the North American Fur Association. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics, gross exports of raw U.S. mink to Hong Kong and China have risen from US$ 19.4 million in 1997 to US$ 50.2 million in 2000, an increase of nearly 160%.

ARGENTINA, June 27, 2002 -- Argentine exports of wheat and corn during March 2002

ARGENTINA, June 27, 2002 -- Argentine exports of oilseed, meal and oil during March 2002

ARGENTINA, June 27, 2002 -- Argentine exports of wheat and corn during April 2002

AUSTRALIA, June 28, 2002 -- The Australian Federal Government has set aside A$102.4 million over five years for a National Food Industry Strategy.

EGYPT, June 27, 2002 -- Total wheat imports since the beginning of the marketing year (July 2001) are estimated at 6,287,205 MT. Private sector imports of Russian and Ukrainian wheat have increased dramatically.

JAPAN, June 28, 2002 -- No summary available.

TURKEY, June 28, 2002 -- On June 25, the Turkish Government increased the import duties of some grains, vegetable oils and oilseeds (soybean duties remained at zero and soybean meal at 2%). Local oilseed processors, who were operating well below capacity, had for some time been asking for the increase to help jump start their industry. The duty on soybean oil increased from 23 to 33% (refined) and 12 to 30% (crude) and milling wheat from 10% to 40%. Turkey's corn duty had been set at 10% since January, 2002, and was increased from 10 to 35% (compared to a seasonal increase to 40% in Nov. 2001).

ISRAEL, June 28, 2002 -- Annual chick peas consumption in Israel average 20-23 thousand metric tons. Imports run between 2,500 and 5,000 mt, depending on rainfall. U.S. exports enjoy a 134mt duty free quota which normally is not fully utilized.

ISRAEL, June 26, 2002 -- Mad Cow Disease has been discovered in Israel, triggering the implementation of an emergency program. Under the program, no cattle older than 30 months can be sold to the Palestinian Auhority. Discovery of BSE in Poland has stopped imports of more than 50,000 calves for fattening from the country. This opens export opportunities for 50-80 thousand calves from the U.S. Critical issues include price FOB, shipping costs and veterinary requirements. Israel allows importation of livestock from 18 northwestern U.S. states.

EUROPEAN UNION, June 28, 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".

BELIZE, June 26, 2002 -- This is report contains information on food laws, labeling requirements, pesticides, copyrights and trademark laws, import procedures, tariffs and customs clearance for the import of food and agricultural products into Belize.

THAILAND, June 28, 2002 -- Weekly rice price and trade update.

CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF, June 28, 2002 -- China's coffee production has greatly increased over the last several years. At the same time, China's coffee consumption has also risen. Local consumers presently prefer instant coffee, but this situation is starting to change. Despite China's rising production, the country imports more than it exports.

CANADA, June 26, 2002 -- "What's New, Eh?" * Canada Announces C$5.2 Billion for Agriculture * Beef Exporters Want less Reliance on U.S. Market * Vegetable Area Lower * Rain Brightens Western Canada's Crop Outlook * Ontario and Michigan Sign MOU on Trade, Transportation and Border Security * Canadians Have less Money than Americans to Eat Out * McDonald's Launches Light Menu Unique to Canada