31.   Commission sources indicated that European merchants had been using the concession as a means of importing ACP rice into the EU without any duty.

32.   Despite achieving self-sufficiency in the past, countries like Indonesia and the Philippines are planning to import rice this year.

33.   The rice aid to the North will come out the surplus Japan built up last year when importing rice to cover its own shortages, the official said.

34.   The Vietnamese leader said his country would welcome further Japanese investment and asked Japan to import rice from Vietnam.

35.   Sri Lanka has been importing rice from China and Pakistan.