DUBAI
Egypt’s agriculture ministry has issued a list of guidelines for port inspectors detailing which wheat shipments should be accepted or rejected by the world’s largest buyer, a document seen by Reuters showed.
Egypt is looking to address the concerns of suppliers who have been adding risk premiums of up to $500,000 (Dh1.84 million) per cargo because of what they say are inconsistent import rules and erratic inspection procedures.
The guidelines include a provision calling for inspectors to accept wheat shipments that contain non-drug-producing poppy seeds, which in recent months have been the subject of a dispute when two state-purchased cargoes were halted.
Some traders who have complained of uncertainties in selling to Egypt welcomed the move.
“It’s a good step ... The picture is now clearer. There was confusion before, and things were vague,” said one Cairo-based trader.
Traders say they expect more guidelines to be circulated soon.
The agriculture ministry was not immediately available for comment.
The latest guidelines, which do not contain new regulations, state that shipments containing less than 0.05 per cent ergot, a common grain fungus that caused disruptions last year, should be accepted after sieving.
They also say cargoes containing dead insects should be released for immediate sieving rather than being held up at ports, which often leads to high demurrage costs.
— Reuters
