DUTCH SUGAR TRADE DENY INVOLVEMENT IN OFFER

  Dutch sugar traders deny involvement
  in a plan to offer more than 850,000 tonnes of sugar to
  intervention in protest at EC export policy and prices, traders
  told Reuters.
      Although some 2,500 tonnes of sugar have been offered to
  intervention in the Netherlands, Dutch producers and traders
  said this sugar was actually Belgian and was being offered by
  the Belgian industry.
      "We sympathise with the actions of the French, West German
  and Belgian traders and producers, but we are not party to it,"
  a spokesman said.
      EC Commission sources said yesterday French traders planned
  to sell 775,000 tonnes into intervention stocks, West German
  traders 75,000 tonnes and Dutch traders 2,500. Dutch trade
  sources gave the same figure for France, but estimated up to
  110,000 tonnes offered by German traders and producers.
      The Dutch spokesman added, "The weekly export tender policy
  and prices are squeezing the European sugar industry, and this
  is the only way in which they can really register their
  protest.
      "These are desperate actions, but we believe that most of
  this offered sugar will be withdrawn within the three-week
  breathing space allowed."
  

