U.S.-bound sugar imports prepped

The Sugar Regulatory Administrator (SRA) has commenced the loading of raw sugar bound for the United States.

On Saturday, SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona inspected its loading at a port in Bacolod City.

Under Sugar Order 3, the Philippines can export 25,300 metric tons (MT) of raw sugar to allow the country to fulfill, after a non-compliance of more than three years, its obligations under the significantly reduced US Raw Sugar Tariff-Rate Quota World Trade Allocation.

Azcona said this will also balance out the domestic raw sugar supply in the milling season in September.

Raw sugar exports to the US will stabilize their local prices at a time of overproduction, usually occurring from January to March, he earlier said.

The loading of sugar is being done manually, with 1,500 MT estimated to be loaded every day.

The loading of the shipment will take about 15 days, provided the weather is good, while it will take 30 days for the shipment to arrive in the US, Azcona said.