U.S. SAID PROMISED BULK OF MAIZE EXPORT TO SPAIN The U.S. Has been promised a near monopoly of maize exports to Spain from third countries guaranteed under an agreement with the European Community, an EC official said. The official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters that the guarantee was given in an unpublished clause of the agreement. Under the accord, which began in January, third countries were guaranteed access for the next four years for two mln tonnes a year of maize to the Spanish market, as well as 300,000 tonnes of sorghum. However, the official said the U.S. Had been assured that almost all the exports would be reserved for its traders. The EC Commission is to ask member states to agree either a tender system to fix reduced import levies for the maize or to authorise direct imports by the Spanish intervention board. EC sources noted that under a tender system maize from outside the U.S. Would sometimes be offered on more favourable terms than that from the U.S. No Commission spokesman was immediately available for comment.