HAMBURG: Iranian state agency the Government Trading Corporation (GTC) has issued an international tender to purchase about 60,000 tonnes of milling wheat, European traders said on Wednesday.

The deadline for the submission of price offers in the tender is also Wednesday, Jan. 12. Volumes in Iran’s tenders are nominal and the country regularly buys more than the original tonnage sought. The new tender seeks shipment in February/March. Iran has been a regular wheat buyer in recent months with about 740,000 tonnes also bought in December.

Iran needs to import around 8 million tonnes of wheat after its crop was damaged by the worst drought in 50 years, Reuters reported in October. But western sanctions on Iran continue to make payment difficult, traders said.