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Конференция «Рынок сахара стран СНГ 2024»
12 апреля, Москва
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→ IKAR in Mass Media → #59 IKAR in Mass MediaRussia boosts raw sugar imports on tariff talk20 декабря 2006 года MOSCOW, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Russia, the world's largest raw sugar importer, has stepped up purchases of the sweetener as speculative traders bet on an increase in the country's import tariff next year, traders and analysts said on Tuesday. About 825,000 tonnes of raw sugar could arrive in Russia in December and January combined, more than six times the amount delivered in the same months last season, said Yevgeny Ivanov, analyst at the Institute for Agricultural Market Studies. "Without question, there's a chance raw sugar purchases will increase," a Moscow-based trader with an international firm said. "It's not affecting prices yet, but we forecast there could be an increase." While Russia is set for a December-January import surge, analysts said full-year raw sugar imports would decline as the country raised beet sugar output to meet more than half of demand. Russia expects record-high beet sugar output in excess of 3 million tonnes this year as processors such as French-owned Sucden and leading domestic firms Rusagro and Prodimex invest in refineries and farmers devote more land to beet. Ivanov said beet sugar output could top 3.2 million tonnes in 2006, provided there was no thaw or sudden cold snap. Russia has said it will keep its raw cane sugar import tariff at $140 a tonne in January 2007 -- the fifteenth consecutive month the tariff has been set at the lowest possible level. The rate is set by the Economy Ministry monthly and is pegged to the average New York futures price for the three preceding months. Economy Minister German Gref said back in March the country would consider amending this scheme to rein in domestic prices blamed for rising inflation, but that it would be difficult to change the formula within 2006. The government has made no official statement on its plans. SPECULATIVE TRADERS Speculative traders have reacted to market rumours, not yet confirmed, that Russia will increase the quota -- possibly even doubling it from Apr. 1, 2007 -- or introduce a new system. "There are rumours a flat tariff will be introduced for five or six months, but nothing has yet been confirmed," the trader said. Another Russian trader representing an international firm said: "Rumours are only rumours. There has not yet been any real decision from the government." Ivanov added: "Everyone's decided that a seasonal tariff will be introduced. The big question, however, is what form this will take, from which month it will be introduced, for what period and will it be introduced at all." He said CIS ports had imported 180,000 tonnes of raw sugar in December. Another 200,000 tonnes would be unloaded in the next few weeks and a further 445,000 tonnes were on their way to Black Sea or Baltic Sea ports, with most destined ultimately for Russia. In December 2005, about 50,000 tonnes were unloaded in Russian ports and in January 2006 about 135,000 tonnes, he said. But the second trader said the increase in raw sugar imports was not connected only to rumours of a change in the tariff. "Buying always starts around this period. Today, arrivals of raw sugar are a little higher than last year but within normal levels," he said. Traders said sugar was trading at between $560 and $570 a tonne in the southern Russian region of Krasnodar, down from about $589 a week ago and a peak of $810 seen in July. Source: Reuters | #sugar | Comments: 0 Views: 67
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