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.