HANOI (Dow Jones)--Vietnamese rice export prices remained unchanged in the week to Tuesday as local traders didn't offer quotations because of the ongoing government ban on new export contracts, traders said. 
 
 "The government doesn't allow any local rice companies to offer new export contracts to foreign buyers from now to the end of the year," said a state trader with the Vietnam Food Association in Ho Chi Minh City.

The trader noted that the government wants the companies to focus exporting rice to Indonesia in the coming weeks, because Vietnam hasn't fulfilled its export contracts of nearly 1.2 million tons the two countries have signed for this year. 
 
"We expect to have enough rice to deliver about 1 million tons to Indonesia this year, and will deliver 200,000 tons in 2008 because of local shortage," he said. 
 
 Traders based in the  Mekong region also said the authorities didn't want local companies to sign new export contracts because they worry about the country's food security, as the storm season hasn't ended yet, and typhoons will continue to hit the central region. 
 
"I expect the prices of exportable rice to remain unchanged until the end of the year," one trader added. 
 
In Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta region, traders quoted indicative prices Tuesday for high-quality 5% broken rice at $320 a metric ton, while the 25% broken grade was quoted at $300/ton, both unchanged from last week. 
 
The Vietnam Food Association trader said the country is estimated to have exported 4.5 million tons of rice valued at $1.5 billion so far this year, and local companies are expected to export another 200,000 tons in November and December. 
 
In 2006, Vietnam exported 4.75 million tons of rice valued at $1.3 billion, down 9.5% on year in volume terms and down 7.2% in value terms.