Exchange Rates

FlJl.—Through BANK OF NSW, ANZ BANK, BANK OF NZ and THE BANK OF BARODA LTD. Australia on Fiji, basis £F100: Buying, $A221.73; Selling, $A226. Fiji-London, basis £ Stg.loo: B. £FII2; S. £FIIO/15/-. NZ-Fiji, basis

£Nz100: B. £Flll/11/9; S. £Fiio/4/3.

Western Samoa. Through Bank

OF WESTERN SAMOA. Australia on W, Samoa basis £WS100: B. $A246.67; S. £ A 249.08. W. Samoa-NZ, basis

£Nz100; B. £Ws99/11/3; S.

£ WSIOO/10/-. Flji-W. Samoa, basis

£ Ws100: B. £Fio9/17/6; S. £Fiii.

W. Samoa-London, basis £Stg.loo: B.

£Wsioo/1/3; S. £Wsioi/10/-.

Norfolk Is. And Papua-New

GUlNEA.—Australian currency used; no exchange payable in transactions with Australia.

French Pacific Colonies.—Pacific

francs (CPF) are used in New Cale donia, New Hebrides, and Fr. Polynesia.

FRENCH BANK (Comptoir National D’Ecompte de Paris, Sydney, in July, 1966, quoted: Selling, Noumea, 98 Pac. francs to $ Aust.; Papeete 98 (nom.) Pac. francs to $ Aust.; 247 Pac francs to £ Stg., approx. 90 Pac. francs to US $; Noumea 18 Pac. francs to 1 French franc (conversion rate: 1 Pac. franc equals 0.055 French franc), Paris-London: Selling 13.675 francs to £Stg.

through official BSI Copra Board, at prices based on Philippines rate. Output goes to Unilever, UK; to Australian crushers: and the balance on to the open market. Prices, in July, were; Ist grade, $130; 2nd grade, $126; 3rd grade, $ll5 per ton, f.0.b., BSIP ports (Honiara, Yandina and Gizo).

GILBERT AND ELLlCE:—Production marketed in Europe through official Copra Board, at prices based on Philippines rates less freight, etc. The Copra Board subsidises the price at: First Grade $12.42 per ton, Second Grade $4.21 per ton.

NEW HEBRlDES:—Official price on July 26 was approximately $74 (7,400 Pac. Francs). French price in July was 895 francs per metric ton, c.i.f., Marseilles.

COOK IS.:—Copra goes to Abels, Ltd., of Auckland, who operate the only NZ copra crushing mill. Price paid is average London price for previous three months, less handling charges. Prices for third quarter, July-Sept., 1966, were £NZS7/14/9 Ist grade, £NZS6/9/9 standard grade—both per ton, f.0.b., Rarotonga.

Other Produce

COCOA: —Islands prices are usually based on the rates for Ghana cocoa.

On July 26 these were approx. £ Stg.2o4/6/- per ton, c.i.f., Sydney.

On July 26, Quote No. 1: In store Rabaul, export quality $430 per ton, ex wharf Sydney, $4BO. Quote No. 2: Best quality, ex-wharf Sydney, $465, in store N.G. ports $448 (for UK, continent and USA shipments).

W. SAMOA: —Supplies scarce, however, nominal prices quoted in Sydney, July 26, were: Grade 1, £ Stg.3oo; grade 2, £ 5tg.265 per ton, f.0.b., Apia.

COFFEE. P.-N.G.: July 26, good quality A grade, per lb. 43c; B grade 41c; C grade, 36c-38c, c.i.f., Sydney.

Approximate overseas f.o.b. coffee prices were reported on July 27 as; Harrari 1 £Stg.36s, bold £Stg.3Bs, per cwt., c.&f.; Uganda Robusta (std.) £ 5tg.247/10/- f.0.b.; Kenya, Tanzania, Bugisu and Indonesian coffees were un quoted.

PEANUTS.—P.-N.G.; Prices under re view, however, Sydney agents reported July 26, f.0.b., Lae; Kernels—white Spanish 15c lb.

RUBBER.—P.-N.G. price is based on Singapore rate, which on July 25 was: Aug. shipment 65% Straits cents per lb (18.96 c Aust.); Sept. shipment 66Va Straits cents per lb (19.18 c Aust.); prompt shipment, nom. 64 7 / 8 Straits cents per lb (18.82 c Aust.).

VANILLA BEANS,—Victor Karp Tulk & Co., Sydney, reported a shortage of supplies on July 27: Prices are; Aug./ Sept, shipment, white and yellow label processed, standard packs, $5.40, green label, $5.30, c.i.f., Sydney.

RICE (Aust.): Prices, until May, 1967, are—P.-N.G.: Dried brown rice, 112 lb bags, $l2l per ton, f.o.w. Sydney or Melbourne. Vitamin enriched white rice, 112 lb bags, $134 per ton, f.o.w. Other Pacific Islands: Polished white or dried brown rice, $142 per ton, f.o.w.

PEARL SHELL. —Quotations for Aus tralian M.O.P. Shell on July 26 by Sydney independent shell agents were; Sound $1,650 per ton, D $l,lBO, E $670, EE $470 (in store Sydney). Cook Islands; Penrhyn £NZ4OO (approx.), f.0.b., Raro tonga.

TROCHUS.—Sydney buyers indicated the following quotations to Islands pro ducers: July 26, Quote No. 1, nominally $l4O per ton, f.0.b.. Islands ports. No. 2 —Papua—sl6o-$lBO per ton; N.G., 8.5.1, —slso-$l7O per ton.

GREEN SNAIL SHELL.—Sydney buyers quoted: July 26, No. 1, Ist grade, $470 per ton on wharf, Sydney, 2nd grade, $240 on wharf, Sydney. No. 2, $440 (best quality), on wharf, Sydney.

Crocodile Skins. On July 26

Sydney buyers quoted for 12 in. and over, first grade quality as follows: P.-N.G.— $2.90 per in., f.o.b. P-NG ports, small scale (salt water); large scale (fresh water) $l.BO per in. 8.5.1. $2.90 (small scale) del. Sydney.

PAPUAN GUM: $165.50 per ton, f.0.b.; New Guinea graded gum $2lO per ton, f.0.b., New Guinea ports.

BECHE-DE-MER: Chang Sing Loong Co., Suva, quote F 2- (4 in. to 7 in.) to F3/- (9 in. to 11 in.) lb for well processed commercial varieties.

SHARK FINS: Chang Sing Loong Co., Suva, offers F4/6 per lb for well-dried fins of commercial quality. ICEP Pty. Ltd., 22 Taylor St., North Curl Curl, Sydney, quote 65c to 85c lb., ex-store Sydney, according to quality.

London and US Quotations

COPRA: LONDON, July 25, Philippines, in bulk, SUSIBB (equal to £Stg.67/7/5) per long ton, c.1.f., UK/Nth. European ports. Malayan 1% c.i.f. UK/Nth. Euro pean ports, UQ. NEW YORK: July 25.

Philippines, c.i.f., Pacific Coast ports, nom. $U5167.50. CEYLON: Spot, 960 Rupees per ton.

Coconut Oil: London, July Ship

ment, Ceylon, 1% in bulk, £Stg.ll7 per ton, c.i.f., UK/Nth. European ports.

RUBBER: LONDON, July 25, Spot 19 7 /sd Stg. lb; Aug. shipment 19-5/16d;; Oct. shipment 20-3/16d Stg. lb.