Exchange Rates

FlJl,—Through BANK OF NSW, ANZ JANK, BANK OF NZ and THE BANK )F BARODA LTD. Australia on Fiji, lasis £F100: Buying, $A221.73; Selling, A 226. Fiji-London, basis £ Stg.loo: J. £FII2; S. £FIIO/15/-. NZ-Fiji, basis

Enz100: B. £Flll/11/9; S. £Fiio/4/3.

Western Samoa. Through Bank

)F WESTERN SAMOA. Australia on V. Samoa basis £WS100: B. $A246.67; 5. £ A 249.08. W. Samoa-NZ, basis

Enz100: B. £ Ws99/11/3; S.

EWSIOO/10/-. Fiji-W. Samoa, basis

Ews100: B. £Fio9/17/6; S. £Fiii.

V. Samoa-London, basis £Stg.loo: B.

£Wsioo/1/3; S. £Wsioi/10/-.

Norfolk Is. And Papua-New

sUlNEA. —Australian currency used; no ixchange payable in transactions with Australia.

French Pacific Colonies.—Pacific

rancs (CPF) are used in New Cale lonia. New Hebrides, and Fr. Polynesia.

FRENCH BANK (Comptoir National PEcompte de Paris, Sydney, in Nov. .966, quoted: Selling, Noumea, 98 Pac. rancs to $ Aust.; Papeete 98 (nom.) *ac. francs to $ Aust.; 247 Pac. francs o £ Stg., approx. 90 Pac. francs to US $: Noumea 18 Pac. francs to 1 French ranc (conversion rate: 1 Pac. franc iquals 0.055 French franc), Paris-London: Juying 13.80 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 Nov., were: Ist grade, $120; 2nd grade, $116; 3rd grade, $lO6 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 $29.36 per ton. Second Grade $18.16 per ton.

NEW HEBRIDES:—Latest official price on Oct. 10 was approximately $64 (6,400 Pac. Francs). French price in Nov. was 790 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 last quarter, Oct.-Dec., 1966, were £NZS6/6/l Ist grade, £NZSS/1/1 standard grade— both per ton, f.0.b., Rarotonga.

Other Produce

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

On Nov. 21 these were approx. £ Stg.l9o per ton, Jan.-Mar., c.i.f., Sydney.

On Nov. 21, Quote No. 1: In store Rabaul, export quality $350 per ton, ex wharf Sydney, $403. Quote No. 2: Best quality, ex-wharf Sydney, $420, in store N.G. ports $377 (for UK, Continent and USA shipments).

W. SAMOA;—Latest prices quoted in Sydney, on Oct. 25 were: Grade 1, £ Stg.29o; grade 2, £Stg.2s6/10/- per ton, f. Apia.

COFFEE.—P.-N.G.: Nov. 21, Quote No. 1, good quality A grade 40c per lb; B grade 38c; C grade 35c. c.i.f., Sydney.

Quote No. 2, A grade 43c per lb; Plantation X 39c; Native X 36c, del.

Sydney.

Approximate overseas f.o.b. coffee prices were reported on Nov. 21 as; Kenya AA g.a.q. £ Stg.39o per ton, A £Stg.3Bo, B £ 5tg.372, C £Stg.3s6, PB £ Stg.36o, TT £ 5tg.354; Tanzania AA g. £ 5tg.376, A £Stg.366, B £Stg.3s4, C £ Stg.33B, TT £Stg.342, PB £Stg.3s4; Bukoba Robusta (unwashed) £Stg.24o, Arabica (unwashed) £ Stg.2B6; Uganda Robusta (std.) Jan. shipment £ 5tg.243/10/-, Feb. shipment, £ 5tg.242/10/-, March shipment, £Stg24l.

PEANUTS.—P.-N.G.: Sydney agents re ported Nov. 21, f.0.b., Lae; Kernels— white Spanish 15c lb.

RUBBER. —P.-N.G. price is based on Singapore rate, which on Nov. 17 was: Dec. shipment 62% Straits cents per lb,

c.i.f. (18.09 c Aust.); Prompt shipment

61% Straits cents per lb (18.38 c Aust.); Jan. shipment 61% Straits cents per lb (17.95 c Aust.).

VANILLA BEANS.—Victor Karp Tulk & Co., Sydney, reported on Nov. 21: Prices are; 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 Nov. 21 by Sydney independent shell agents were: Sound $1,650 per ton, D $l,lBO, E $670, EE $470 (in store Sydney). Cook Islands: Penrhyn £NZ32O (approx.), f.0.b., Raro tonga.

TROCHUS. —Sydney buyers indicated the following quotations to Islands pro ducers: Nov. 21 Papua $l6O-$lBO per ton; N.G., 8.5.1. —$150-$l7O per ton, f.o.b.

Islands ports.

GREEN SNAIL SHELL.—Sydney buyers quoted: Nov. 21, No. 1, Ist grade, $490, f.o.b. Islands ports, 2nd grade, nom„ $240 on wharf, Sydney. No. 2, $440 (best quality), on wharf, Sydney.

Crocodile Skins. On Nov. 21

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; $l9O per ton, del.

Sydney; New Guinea graded gum $lB5 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, Nov. 18, Philippines, in bulk, SUSI 63 (equal to £Stg.sB/8/-) per long ton, c.i.f., UK/Nth. European ports. Malayan \°? r c.i.f. UK/Nth. Euro pean ports, UQ. NEW YORK: Nov. 18, Philippines, c.i.f., Pacific Coast ports, nom. SUSIS3. CEYLON; Spot, 915 Rupees per ton.

Coconut Oil: London, Ceylon, 1%

in bulk, £Stg.93/10/- per ton, c.i.f., UK/Nth. European ports.

Rubber: London, Nov. 17, Spot

18%d Stg. lb; Dec. shipment 18V2d Stg. lb; Feb. shipment, 18-13/16d Stg. lb.