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Dec. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Japan bought 104,963 metric tons of U.S. milling wheat in a regular tender today, the largest volume in three weeks, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said.

Shipment is set from Jan. 16 to Feb. 15, Toshiki Tojo at the ministry’s grain-trade division said by phone. It was the biggest purchase since Nov. 10, when the government bought 142,032 tons.

The ministry, which controls overseas purchases and domestic sales of wheat to stabilize supply, is Asia’s largest buyer as a single entity. It has bought 3.25 million tons through regular tenders this fiscal year, compared with 5.16 million tons in the year ended March 31.

Details of this week’s tender are listed below:

--Editors: Jarrett Banks, James Poole

To contact the reporter on this story: Aya Takada in Tokyo at atakada2@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Richard Dobson at rdobson4@bloomberg.net