PARIS, May 18 (Reuters) - A vessel is due to load 40,000 tonnes of French maize in the coming days for Egypt, port data showed on Wednesday, after low availability in other exporting countries helped France clinch a first bulk maize shipment to Egypt in at least 16 years.

The Clipper Vision carrier is due to call at the Atlantic port of Bordeaux this week, according to the data.

France is the largest maize (corn) grower in the European Union but most of its exports are confined to the 28-country bloc, with French maize usually unable to compete overseas against supplies from bigger exporters such as Ukraine, Brazil and the United States.

France has not made any bulk shipments of maize to Egypt since at least 2000, sending only small volumes of less than 100 tonnes per year, according to available customs data.

The scheduled shipment to Egypt would also mark the largest-ever grain export loading at Bordeaux, well above previous highs of 25,000 to 28,000 tonnes, port sources said.

Traders say competitive French prices and tight short-term supplies in the Black Sea region and in South America have opened an export window for France, which is also set to ship this month around 50,000 tonnes of maize to South Korea.

Known for being the world's largest wheat importer, Egypt is also a major maize buyer and is expected to take in more than 8 million tonnes in the current 2015/16 season, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates.

(Reporting by Valerie Parent, writing by Gus Trompiz, editing by Sybille de La Hamaide)