RTRS:VEGOILS-Palm slips for 2nd day on demand worries
* Indonesia to cap export tax
* Markets focus on U.S. Fed chairman Bernanke's Friday
speech
* Global econ will not hit demand of Malaysia
commods-official
(Adds details, comments)
By Niluksi Koswanage and Angie Teo
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 25 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm oil futures
fell on Thursday on worries over slower overseas demand after
top producer Indonesia revised its export tax structure that
could make its shipments cheaper and on caution over the global
economy.
Indonesia, the world's top palm oil producer, will cap its
export tax for the edible oil at 22.5 percent from 25.0 percent
previously, a trade ministry official said on
Thursday.
The changes, which take effect from Oct. 1, could make
shipments cheaper than those from the world's No.2 producer,
weighing on Malaysian palm oil futures.
"The Malaysian market fell because Indonesia has made
changes that makes its own exports more competitive now," said a
trader with a foreign commodities brokerage in Kuala Lumpur.
The benchmark November crude palm oil contract on Bursa
Malaysia Derivatives KPOc3 fell as much as 1.9 percent to
2,978 ringgit ($1,000.504) a tonne before paring some losses to
end 1.4 percent lower.
Overall traded volume was 20,899 lots of 25 tonnes each,
below the usual 25,000 lots.
Palm oil has lost about 20 percent so far this year thanks
to a stock build and financial markets turning volatile over the
grim economic outlook.
Many markets are looking for some new cues from U.S. Federal
Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's speech on Friday and any failure
to offer a clear hint of further monetary easing may trigger a
fresh sell-off.
But Malaysian's Commodities Minister said demand for palm
oil, tin and rubber may not be hit too much by a global slowdown
and Chinese imports of the edible oil are set to rise next month
as buyers stock up.
Technicals look positive. Reuters analyst Wang Tao said palm
oil is expected to hover around support at 3,030 ringgit per
tonne, before rising towards 3,074 ringgit.
Exports posted solid growth with cargo surveyor Intertek
Testing Services reporting Aug. 1-25 palm oil shipments rose 6.3
percent to 1.36 million tonnes from a month ago.
Another surveyor, Societe Generale de Surveillance, showed
exports up 5.5 percent over the same period.
Higher exports are likely to bring stocks well below 2
million tonnes as production falters with mostly Muslim estate
workers taking extended leave for Eid celebrations in late
August.
Grains and other vegetable oil prices came under pressure on
expectations of ample supply and caution ahead of Bernanke's
speech at Jackson Hole.
U.S. soyoil for September delivery slipped 0.8
percent during Asian hours, and the most active May 2012 soyoil
contract on China's Dalian Commodity Exchange inched 0.4
percent lower.
Palm, soy and crude oil prices at 1010 GMT
Palm oil prices in Malaysian ringgit per tonne
CBOT soy oil in U.S. cents per pound
Dalian soy oil in Chinese yuan per tonne
Crude in U.S. dollars per barrel
($1 = 2.976 Ringgit)