JAPAN, June 11, 2004 -- Japan invited foreign Embassies to comment on establishment of maximum residue limits for a fungicide, boscalid. The deadline for comments is June 18, 2004. This proposal will be submitted to the WTO for a further opportunity for comments.

KOREA, REPUBLIC OF, June 11, 2004 -- Korean farmers are adjusting planting intentions in expectation of higher imports and lower support prices. The ROK is ready to provide 400,000 tons of grains to the DPRK including 70,000 tons of domestic rice.

VIETNAM, June 11, 2004 -- Export prices stayed firm during the week but are expected to decline by the end of June.

THAILAND, June 11, 2004 -- Export prices changed slightly, as trading activities were confined to small buyers.

AUSTRALIA, June 11, 2004 -- Australia's beef exports are rising, particularly to major North Asian markets, as strong export demand brought on by the absence of U.S. competition continues to boost shipments. Beef exports to Japan and Korea are up sharply in the first five months of 2004, while exports to the United States and Canada are lower. Beef exports to Japan and Korea in January-May 2004 were 31 percent and 39 percent higher, respectively, than the year-earlier period.

EU-25, June 11, 2004 -- 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 USDA publication "Rice Market News".

GERMANY, June 11, 2004 -- German tobacco consumption is estimated at 170 to 175,000 tons annually, of which about 27,000 tons originated from the United States in CY 2003. For CY 2004, the use of U.S. tobacco in German cigarette production is forecast to shrink to 25,000 tons. This is due to reduced cigarette production and due to a market share gain of retail brand cigarettes, which contain hardly any U.S. tobacco. In 2003, the German parliament decided to increase tobacco taxes in three steps of Euro cents 1.2 per cigarette per step in 2004 and 2005. Imports of cigarettes by frequent travelers, which are not taxed in Germany, are foreseen to increase drastically. Many smokers react to these tax and price increases by switching over to lower-taxed finecut tobacco products or simply quit smoking.

MEXICO, June 11, 2004 -- *USABIAGA PROPOSES TO REDUCE MEXICO'S CORN PRODUCTION *MEXICO UPHOLDS ITS PREVIOUS DECISION TO ELIMINATE COMPENSATORY DUTY ON IMPORTS OF LIVE HOGS FOR SLAUGHTER *MEXICO PUBLISHES PRELIMINARY RESOLUTION ON ANTIDUMPING INVESTIGATION OF U.S. PORK MEAT *MEXICO INITIATES DUMPING INVESTIGATION OF U.S. PORK LEGS *MEXICO'S SECRETARIAT OF ECONOMY RECOMMENDS REORIENTATION OF EXPORTS *MEXICO SHOWS HIGH TRANSPORTATION COSTS FOR CORN *CERTIFIED MEXICAN PRODUCTS *NOSTALGIA OF MEXICANS IN THE US OPENS A MARKET WORTH 12 BILLION *US SUPREME COURT DECISION UNCLEAR TO MEXICAN TRUCKERS