When financing for such ventures dried up, these companies slowed or halted purchases of communications equipment.

Indonesia, the primary importer of Malagasy cloves, temporarily halted purchases in 1983 as a result of sufficient domestic production, and left Madagascar with a huge surplus.

The new governor and Piernas interpreted the abolishment by agreeing to halt further purchases of Indian slaves but allowing the retention of current slaves and any children born to them.

The reaction came in the spring, when many private Japanese investors halted new purchases of Treasury notes and bonds, funneling money instead into Japan.

He also temporarily halted purchases not related to specific orders, sold company planes and employee housing, stretched bill-paying to about 60 days, and shut the Escanaba, Mich., crane factory.

The declining levels, though, were not low enough to satisfy the Japanese, who threatened last year to halt purchases of American pork because of sulfamethazine residues.

In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Brambles said Environmental had requested that it halt further purchases of Environmental shares until Aug. 20.

Earlier, Chinese newspapers quoted officials as saying China might halt purchases of American wheat.

AT&T, the nation's largest cable television company, has halted purchases of equipment that enable its cable systems to carry local telephone service - a move that sent shares of several equipment suppliers down sharply yesterday.

And now it has, at least temporarily, halted purchases.