HAMBURG  - A Syrian state purchasing agency has issued an international tender to purchase 25,000 tonnes of white rice, European traders said on Monday.

The tender from Syria's General Foreign Trade Organisation closes on March 29, they said. White Chinese rice or Egyptian short grain rice is sought.

A previous tender from the agency for 39,400 tonnes of rice had closed on Feb. 22.

(Reporting by Michael Hogan) ((michael.j.hogan@thomsonreuters.com; +49 172 671 36 54; Reuters Messaging: michael.hogan.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))