CUBA TELLS TRADERS SUGAR EXPORTS MAY BE DELAYED

  Cuba has told international sugar
  operators who have bought its sugar for shipment in March that
  these contracts will take second place to Cuba's direct
  shipments to its export markets, dealers here said.
      Some traders who have received telexes from Cuba said the
  language of the message was not totally clear and some believed
  shipments would be honoured if the traders declare the Soviet
  Union as the destination of their contracts.
      The telexes have fueled rising world prices in the last
  week and reflect a poor Cuban crop, worry over Brazil's export
  availability, and increasing Soviet demand, analysts said.
      Traders said signs of Cuba's shortage of immediately
  available raw sugar to supply its traditional martkets was
  probably the factor behind Syria calling a snap buying tender
  last month.
      Normally Syria calls white sugar buying tenders for forward
  delivery, and last month's spot requirement resulted in the
  sale of several cargoes.
      Cuba in its telex told operators they would not receive
  March shipments as Cuba has to meet its contracts to export
  markets, traders said.
  

