LONDON- Britain's wheat imports slowed in February but are still running well above last season's pace, customs data showed on Tuesday.
Wheat imports for the month totalled 94,956 tonnes, down from 106,531 tonnes in January and the lowest monthly total so far for the 2020/21 season, which runs from July to June.
A slowdown had been expected following the expiration of a transitional trade agreement between Britain and the European Union at the end of 2020.
Shipments in the early part of the season had been boosted by uncertainty about trade arrangements after the agreement expired, which led some buyers to front-load purchases.
Germany was the largest supplier in January, shipping 30,236 tonnes, followed by Canada with 29,633 tonnes. Germany was also Britain's largest supplier in the season to date, with shipments of 475,941 tonnes.
Cumulative imports since the start of the 2020/21 season totalled 1.67 million tonnes, up from 674,788 tonnes in the same period a year earlier.
Imports are expected to climb this season after the nation's wheat harvest totalled just 9.66 million tonnes last summer, a drop of 40.5% from the previous year.
Wheat exports during January totalled 1,201 tonnes.
Cumulative exports for the season to date stood at 144,179 tonnes, far below the 958,660 tonnes exported in the same period a year earlier.
(Reporting by Nigel Hunt; Editing by Jan Harvey) ((nigel.hunt@thomsonreuters.com; +44 20 7542 8421; Reuters Messaging: nigel.hunt.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
