U.S. SAID PROMISED BULK OF MAIZE EXPORT TO SPAIN

  The U.S. Has been promised a near
  monopoly of maize exports to Spain from third countries
  guaranteed under an agreement with the European Community, an
  EC official said.
      The official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters that
  the guarantee was given in an unpublished clause of the
  agreement.
      Under the accord, which began in January, third countries
  were guaranteed access for the next four years for two mln
  tonnes a year of maize to the Spanish market, as well as
  300,000 tonnes of sorghum.
      However, the official said the U.S. Had been assured that
  almost all the exports would be reserved for its traders.
      The EC Commission is to ask member states to agree either a
  tender system to fix reduced import levies for the maize or to
  authorise direct imports by the Spanish intervention board.
      EC sources noted that under a tender system maize from
  outside the U.S. Would sometimes be offered on more favourable
  terms than that from the U.S.
      No Commission spokesman was immediately available for
  comment.
  

