PARIS, Dec 5: Soft wheat imports into the European Union now exceed seven million tons since the beginning of the season, due to an additional 526,000 tons imported this week, EU officials said on Thursday.

The volume this week was more than double the 245,155 tons granted last week, they added.

European importers have speeded up wheat imports in recent months, mainly from Ukraine and Russia, ahead of new EU grain import quotas set to come into force in January.

EU data showed total imports since the start of the 2002-03 campaign in July were now at around 7.01 million tons, against 3.03 million imported at the same time last year.

By contrast, exports to non-EU countries were almost stable from last week at 4.84 million tons.

Daily export licences are issued in addition to the EU’s weekly export tender on Thursday.

EU officials said import licences were also granted for some 11,000 tons of barley and 31,000 tons of maize.—Reuters