The European Union has opened three cut-levy tenders for the import of maize and sorghum to Spain and Portugal, its Official Journal said on Friday. Spain would be able to import 700,000 tonnes of maize at reduced import duties in a tender set to run until April 28 and 200,000 tonnes of sorghum in another tender that will expire on Dec. 15, the Journal said in its latest edition. For Portugal, there would be another tender to allow cut-levy imports for 250,000 tonnes of maize, it said. This would run until March 17.

Each tender would be conducted in weekly bidding rounds, with the first due to open on Jan. 7, the Journal said. Import licences would be valid for 50 days from the date of issue.

Copyright Reuters, 2005