Friday, September 28, 2001 - PALM oil exports to Pakistan and West Asiancountries may be reduced if the US were to attack Af-ghanistan, primaryindustries minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik said.The reduction would be due to disruption in shipping lanes, and not due toa drop in demand or lack of insurance cover, he told a press conference athis office in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.Lim said Pakistan and Egypt were among the biggest purchasers of Malaysianpalm oil, accounting for 20% to 25% of Malaysia's exports or 1.7 milliontonnes out of some 9 million tonnes produced in the country.However, he said, palm oil exports could still go to Pakistan via India.Lim said the US was not a major purchaser of Malaysian palm oil and theother major importers were India and China.He said Malaysian exports of palm oil to China could touch one milliontonnes annually following that country’s accession to the World TradeOrganisation. China imports 1.5 million tonnes of palm oil each year. –Bernama