PARIS/HAMBURG (Reuters) - Iraq’s state grains board has purchased 100,000 tonnes of hard wheat to be sourced from the United States and Australia in a tender that closed this week, European traders said on Wednesday.
Some 50,000 tonnes will be sourced from the United States and 50,000 tonnes from Australia, they said.
The U.S. wheat was purchased at $294.47 a tonne c&f free out and the Australian wheat at $283.35 a tonne c&f free out, traders said.
The tender closed on Nov. 26 and offers had to remain valid until Nov. 30. Only wheat of U.S., Australian or Canadian origin could be offered. Australian wheat was offered at the lowest price.
Six trading houses participated in the tender.
In its last reported wheat purchase in early November, Iraq struck a direct non-tender deal to buy 500,000 tonnes of U.S. wheat from Cargill, ADM and an unidentified firm.
Iraq's cabinet in May authorised the Trade Ministry to make direct purchases of wheat and rice to guarantee food security.
(Reporting by Valerie Parent and Michael Hogan; Editing by Edmund Blair)
