London sugar futures closed little changed after a session dominated by structural activity, profit taking and light producer selling ahead of the London sugar trade dinner on Thursday evening, traders said. Benchmark May settled up $1.20 at $479.20 per tonne. August firmed $1.10 at $481.70 per tonne.
"There was a lot of spread trades because maybe the EU tender was bigger than a lot of people were expecting," one trader said.
The European Union sold 113,750 tonnes of white sugar at a maximum rebate of 27.26 euros per 100 kg at Thursday's tender, EU data showed.
COCOA HIGHER: London cocoa futures closed modestly higher on Thursday, buoyed by switch trading and support from a strong market in New York, dealers said.
Benchmark May closed up 11 pounds at 919 pounds a tonne in volume of 4,903 lots while the July contract finished up six pounds at 924 pounds in volume of 5,025 lots.
Total volume was 15,741 lots, much higher than levels seen previously in the week, when levels were around 3,000 lots, but still relatively light.
"We're very much in the in-between time as far as crop flows are concerned. We are technically very neutral biding our time until the mid-crop flow starts," a trader said, referring to the smaller, intermediary crop in West Africa that is due to kick off this weekend in the top grower Ivory Coast.
COFFEE RISES: Liffe robusta coffee futures closed higher on Thursday boosted by a strong showing in the New York market, dealers said.
Benchmark May robusta ended up $14 at $1,104 a tonne in volume of 7023 lots.
"London is up, but reluctantly so. It's made a very half-hearted, steady attempt, it doesn't have the same speculative punch as New York," one trader said.