Fed: Iraq to slash Aust wheat Imports
CANBERRA, Dec 12 AAP - Iraq has nearly halved its contract with Australian wheat exporterAWB Ltd.
An AWB spokesman today confirmed Iraq would buy one million tonnes of Australian wheatthis financial year, down from 1.8 million tonnes last financial year.
It follows warnings from Iraq earlier this year that it would cut its wheat importsbecause of Australia's support for the United States in a threatened war against Iraq.
Iraq was, before this decision, Australia's largest wheat export market.
All the wheat to Iraq is exported under the oil for food program.
The AWB spokesman refused to comment directly on any link between the smaller contractand the Australian government's comments about a war in Iraq.
But he said that because of the drought, AWB had been forced to look at its exportprogram anyway.
"If we're going to have 24 million tonnes of wheat to export this year then that wouldbe a problem, but we're only going to have 11 million tonnes," he told AAP.
"We will continue to talk to Iraq about future possible sales."
Last year's wheat exports to Iraq were worth more than $800 million.
AAP sw/rp/kjp/ldj/sb
KEYWORD: IRAQ WHEAT
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