European trade talk was of open-origin wheat including from the US, Australia, Canada and Europe for August shipment.
"We have heard the talk but we have received nothing concrete," one European exporter said. "People are talking about a tender for 150,000 tonnes but no one really knows what is happening."
Another European exporter said: "It is impossible to say whether they have extended the bidding on their old tender or issued a new one, we have no email or verbal confirmation."
"With Iraq closed on Friday for the Islamic weekend, no official confirmation would be possible until Saturday unless some emails turn up."
Iraq has issued a series of wheat tenders this year which faded into unresolved status after weeks of bidding.
"Their purchasing and tendering procedure is so chaotic that no one really knows what they have bought so far this year," a European trader said. "The news reports are totally conflicting."
In the last reports on June 8, Middle Eastern traders said Iraq had issued a tender to buy 200,000 tonnes of flour after cancelling its previously-active tender to buy 150,000 tonnes of hard wheat.
A newly appointed trade minister was said to be behind the cancellation of the 150,000 tonnes wheat tender, but they said another wheat tender with new conditions was expected to be issued in June.
But on June 9, the US Agriculture Department said Iraq had purchased 55,000 tonnes of US wheat in the week ending June 2.
Iraq is also involved in a dispute with Australian grain exporter AWB about alleged contamination of a large purchase of Australian wheat.
Traders also say they suspect Iraq is coming under pressure from the US to buy more American wheat. (Source) Trade Arabia
