SOFTS-Arabica coffee regains some ground after sell-off

LONDON, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Arabica coffee futures on ICE edged up on Thursday with the market regaining some ground after the prior session's sell-off while sugar prices eased.

COFFEE

* Arabica coffee KCc2 rose 1.1% to $3.7960 per lb by 1043 GMT after falling by 8.2% on Wednesday.

* Dealers said a wave of fund long liquidation had helped to fuel the sharp fall in prices on Wednesday with the decline gathering momentum as key support levels were breached.

* They noted the market had become technically overbought during the run-up while there were also reports there had been some rain in parts of the Brazilian coffee belt which may have improved the outlook for next year's crop.

* The market remained underpinned, however, by tight supplies in the United States following the imposition of a 50% tariff on shipments from Brazil.

* Robusta coffee LRCc2 gained 0.6% to $4,475 a metric ton.

* Coffee trading continued on a sluggish note this week in Vietnam due to a shortage of beans and soft demand as traders awaited the new crop season that officially begins next month, traders said on Thursday.

SUGAR

* Raw sugar SBc1 fell 0.6% to 15.44 cents per lb.

* China imported 830,000 metric tons of sugar in August, up 5.1% from the same month last year, according to data released by the General Administration of Customs on Thursday.

* White sugar LSUc1 was down 0.8% at $455.50 a ton.

COCOA

* London cocoa LCCc2 fell 0.6% to 5,059 pounds per ton.

* Dealers said the market was subdued with many participants away from their desks attending a cocoa conference in Malta.

* New York cocoa CCc2 was down a marginal 0.01% at $7,318 a ton.