Exchange Rates

FlJl. —Through Bank of NSW, ANZ ,nk, Bank of NZ, Bank of Baroda. istralia on Fiji, basis £FI; buying 2.2225, selling $A2.26. Fiji-London, basis Stg.loo: b. £FII2, s. £FIIO/15/-. NZ ji, basis £FI: b. $NZ1.7923, s.

Z 1.8147.

WESTERN SAMOA.—Through Bank of estern Samoa Australia-W-Samoa, basis

/Si: B. $A1.2363, S. $A1.2454. Nz-W.

moa, basis SNZI: b. SWSI.OOSO, s. par. ji-W. Samoa, basis £FI: SWSI.BIB2, s. /SI. 8018. W. Samoa-London, basis Stg.l: b. $W52.0200, s. SWS2.OIOO.

Norfolk Is. And Papua-New

JINEA. —Australian currency used; no change payable in transactions with istralia.

French Pacific Colonies.—Pacific

mcs (CPFi are used in New Cale nia, New Hebrides (jointly with Aus ilian dollars), Wallis and Futuna lands and Fr. Polynesia. FRENCH BANK, dney, on July 27, quoted: Selling, tumea and Papeete, 98 Pac. francs to Aust.; 240 Pac. francs to £ Stg., prox. 90 Pac. francs to US $; Noumea Pac. francs to 1 French franc (con rsion rate: 1 Pac. francs equals 0.055 ench franc). Paris-London; Buying .65 francs to £Stg.

SOLOMON IS.: All production marketed througn 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 July 21 were: Ist grade, $120; 2nd grade, $116; 3rd grade, $lO6 per ton, BSIP ports (Honiara, Yandina and Gizo).

GILBERT AND ELLICE: —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 Venezuela. Official price on July 24 was $72 (7,200 Pac.

Francs). French price then was 977% 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 July, August and September, have been fixed, subject to freight adjustment, at SNZIIB first grade, hot air dried; $NZ116.04 first grade, sun dried and $NZ114.57 standard grade, all per ton packed f.o.b.

Other Produce

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.

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

On July 26 these were approx. £ 5tg.225 per ton, c.i.f., London (Oct. to Mar. ship ment).

On July 26, Quote No. 1: In store Rabaul. export quality $450 per ton, ex wharf Sydney, $5OO. Quote No. 2: Best quality, ex-wharf Sydney, $485, in store NG ports $428 (for UK, Continent and USA shipments).

W. Samoa.—Latest prices quoted in Sydney, on July 19, were; Grade 1, £ 5tg.252/2/6, grade 2, £ Stg.23o per ton, f.0.b., Apia.

COFFEE.—P.-N.G.: July 17, Quote No. 1, good quality A grade 37c to 40c per lb; B grade 36c to 38c; C grade 35c to 36c; X grade 36c to 39c and native X grade 33.5 c to 34c.

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

GREEN SNAIL SHELL.—Sydnev buver* quoted: July 26, No. 1, Ist grade, $5OO, f.o.b. Islands ports, 2nd grade, nom.. $240 on wharf, Sydney. Honiara: 16c lb.

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

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

PEARL SHELL.—Fished by Japanese and Australian interests around Cape York and Broome, North Australia, for mainly cultured shell production. Shells were scarce in July. Two Sydney buyers, on July 27, 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, SNZ7OO (approx.), f.0.b., Rarotonga.

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, Tl? a S s - $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.

RUBBER.—P.-N.G. price is based on Singapore rates, which on July 27 were: Prompt nominal shipment 55 V 4 Malayan cents per lb. c.i.f. (16.02 c Aust.); Aug. shipment 55 l A Malayan cents per lb (16.02 c Aust.); Sept. shipment 57 y 8 Malayan cents per lb (16.78 c Aust.).

SHARK FINS: Chang Sing Loong Co.

Suva, offers F4/6 per lb for well-dried fln« of commercial quality. ICEP Pty. Ltd 22 Taylor St., North Curl Curl. Sydney! quote 65c to 85c lb., ex-store Sydney’ according to quality. iI TR ,°£ HUS Sydney buyers indicated the following quotations to Islands pro ducers: July 26 Papua $l6O-$lBO per ton; N.G., 8.5.1.—5150-$l6O per ton, f.o.b. Islands ports.

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

Prices on July 23 were: white and yellow label processed, standard packs, $6.60, green label, $6.50, c.i.f., Sydney.

London and US Quotations

COPRA: LONDON, July 21, Philippines, in bulk, SUS2O7 per long ton, c.i.f., UK/Nth. European ports. Malayan 1% c.i.f. UK/Nth. European ports, UQ. US Pacific Coast, Philippines, SUSI7S per short ton. CEYLON: Spot, 995 Rupees per long ton.

Coconut Oil: London, July 21

Ceylon, 1% in bulk, £Stg.ll3 per ton! c.i.f., UK/Nth. European ports.

Rubber; London, July 27, Spot,

buyer 17d Stg. lb; Aug. 16-11/16d; Nov. 17 %d.