EGYPT: Ban on Indonesian CPO lifted

The Egyptian government has announced its intention to lift a ban on the crude palm oil imported from Indonesia.The ban was imposed at the end of last year when a shipment was found to be contaminated with diesel oil, although it appears unlikely that the exports from Indonesia ever ceased. Husin Bagis, an Indonesian trade attaché, revealed that shipments were still made to Egypt, via Malaysia.From January to May exports were calculated to have dropped in value by about US$2m from 1999, but this looks set to change with Indonesia awarded a contract to supply 15,000 tonnes of crude palm oil this October.