The European Union granted export licences for just over 222,000 tonnes of soft wheat this week, taking the total volume so far in the 2016/17 season that started on July 1 to 7.7 million tonnes, official data showed on Thursday. This week's volume is the second-lowest volume so far this season, confirming a tailing off in demand after last week's 209,000 tonnes equalled a season low. However, the cumulative volume so far this season is 12 percent above the level seen a year ago.
This week's data mark the penultimate award under the licence system before the EU scraps next month a general requirement for grain exporters and importers to request licences. Under a directive adopted earlier this year aimed at simplifying administrative procedures, traders will not have to obtain licences except for grain shipped under so-called tariff-rate quotas (TRQ). From next month, the EU will publish weekly export and import figures based on actual exports declared to customs services in each EU country.
This differs from the licence system under which traders can obtain a licence several months before using it, and can also request a licence in one country and use it for a shipment in another EU member. This week's licence data released by the Commission also showed 93,000 tonnes of maize export licences, bringing the season's volume to 815,000 tones, and 157,000 tonnes of maize import licences, taking the total this season to 2.5 million.
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