Exchange Rates

fl.—'Through BANK OF NSW, ANZ t, BANK OF NZ and THE BANK BARODA LTD. Australia on Fiji, £F100: Buying, $A221.73; Selling, 3. Fiji-London, basis fStg.lOO; F 112; S. £FIIO/15/-. NZ-Fiji, basis

100: B. £Flll/11/9; S. £Fiio/4/3.

Istern Samoa, Through Bank

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

100; B. £ Ws99/11/3; S.

1100/10/-. Fiji-W. Samoa, basis

1100; B, £Fio9/17/6; S. £Fiii.

Samoa-London. basis £Stg.loo: B.

1100/1/3; S. £Wsioi/10/-.

Rfolk Is. And Papua-New

SEA. —Australian currency used; no inge payable in transactions with alia.

Ench Pacific Colonies.—Pacific

s (CPF) are used in New Cale , New Hebrides (jointly with Aus n dollars), Wallis and Futuna Is and Ft. Polynesia. FRENCH BANK ptoir National D’Ecompte de Paris, 3y, on Apr. 28, quoted: Selling, tea and Papeete, 98 Pac. francs to ist.; 240 Pac. francs to £ Stg., »x. 90 Pac. francs to US $; Noumea ac. francs to 1 French franc (con m rate: 1 Pac. francs equals 0.055 :h franc). Paris-London; Buying 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 on May 28 were: Ist grade, $120; 2nd grade, $116; 3rd grade, $lO6 per ton, 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 $67.20 per ton for first grade.

NEW HEBRIDES: —Copra sold direct by planters to Prance and South America.

Official price on May 17 was $7O (7,000 Pac. Francs). French price in May was 860 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 Apr., May and June, have been fixed, subject to freight adjustment, at £NZSS/5/4 Ist grade, £NZS4/0/4 standard grade—both per ton, f.0.b., Rarotonga.

Other Produce

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

On May 26 these were approx. £ 5tg.225 per ton, c.i.f., Sydney.

On May 26, Quote No, 1: In store Rabaul, export quality $450 per ton, ex wharf Sydney, $5OO. Quote No. 2: Best quality, ex-wharf Sydney, $5OO, in store NG ports $440 (for UK, Continent and USA shipments).

W. Samoa.—Latest prices quoted In Sydney, on May 17 were; Grade 1, £ 5tg.272/10/-, grade 2, £Stg.2s2/10/- per ton, f.0.b., Apia.

COFFEE.—P.-N.G.; May 28, Quote No. 1, good quality A grade 40.5 c per lb; B grade 39.5 c; C grade 37.5 c, c.i.f., Sydney.

PEANUTS.—P.-N.G.: Sydney agents re ported May 26, f.0.b., Lae; Kernels — white Spanish 15c lb.

RUBBER. —P.-N.G. price is based on Singapore rates, which on May 25 were: Prompt shipment 57% Straits cents per lb, c.i.f. (16.64 c Aust.); June shipment 57 Straits cents per lb (16.53 c Aust.); July shipment 57 Straits cents per lb (16.53 c Aust.).

VANILLA BEANS.—Victor Karp Tulk & Co., Sydney, buy mainly from Tahiti for Sydney and Melbourne essence makers.

Prices on May 26 were: white and yellow label processed, standard packs, $6.55, green label, $6.45, c.i.f., Sydney.

RICE (Aust.): Prices, until Mar. 31, 1968, are—P.-N.G.: Dried brown rice, 112 lb bags, $l2B per ton, f.o.w. Sydney or Melbourne. Vitamin enriched white rice, 56 lb bags, $142 per ton, f.o.w. Brown, 40 lb bags $l3B per ton. Other Pacific Islands: Polished white (56 lb bags) or dried brown rice (112 lb bags), $l5O per ton, f.o.w.

PEARL SHELL.—Fished by Japanese and Australian interests around Cape York and Broome, North Australia, for mainly cultured shell production. Shells were scarce in May. Two Sydney buyers, on May 29, quoted these prices; Sound $1,650 per ton, D grade $l,lBO, E grade, $650, EE $470 (in store Sydney).

Solomons. —Honiara, mother of pearl blacklip 15c lb, goldlip 20c lb.

Cook Islands. —Penrhyn Island, £NZ3SO (approx.), f.0.b., Rarotonga.

TROCHUS.—Sydney buyers indicated the following quotations to Islands pro ducers: May 29 Papua $l6O-$lBO per ton; N.G., 8.5.1.—5150-$l6O per ton, f.o.b. Islands ports.

GREEN SNAIL SHELL.—Sydney buyers quoted: May 29, No. 1, Ist grade, $5OO, f.o.b. Islands ports, 2nd grade, nom.. $240 on wharf, Sydney.

Crocodile Skins. On May 28

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., Honiara: $1.89 per in. Gizo: $2.10 per in.

PAPUAN GUM: New Guinea graded gum $lB5 per ton, f.0.b., Samarai, un graded gum $174, f.0.b., NG.

BECHE-DE-MER: Chang Sing Loong Co., Suva, quote F 2- (4 in. to 7 in.) to P3/- (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, May 19, Philippines, in bulk, SUSI9O per long ton, c.i.f., UK/Nth. European ports. Malayan 1% c.i.f. UK/Nth. European ports, UQ. US Pacific Coast, Philippines, SUSI 66 per short ton. CEYLON: Spot, 955 Rupees per long ton.

Coconut Oil: London, May 19,

Ceylon, 1% in bulk, £Stg.99/10/- per ton, c.i.f., UK/Nth. European ports.

Rubber: London, May 25, Spot,

buyer 17-11/16d Stg. lb; June 17-3/16d; Sept. 17-15/16d.