Officials from the Department of Agriculture (DA), Bureau of Customs (BOC), and Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) conducted an inspection on Thursday of smuggled sugar seized at the Port of Manila, in support of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to intensify the crackdown on agricultural smuggling.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio, and SRA Administrator Pablo Azcona led the inspection of four container vans containing 2,000 50-kilogram bags of refined sugar, with an estimated retail value of P9 million.

Two of the containers, which arrived in January from Vietnam, were declared as “sweetener mix” to qualify for a lower tariff rate.

However, laboratory tests conducted by the SRA confirmed that the shipment actually contained refined sugar. If it had passed through customs unnoticed, the government would have been deprived of an estimated P1.8 million in import duties. The consignee of the cargo, Yabai OPC, has since abandoned the shipment.

The shipment from Thailand, which arrived more recently on 29 April, was consigned to Roxas City-based Lapaz Multi-purpose Cooperative (LMC). Authorities said LMC had no import permit or sugar allocation from the SRA and also lacked the clearance to release the shipment.

As a registered sugar trader and importer, LMC is now facing possible sanctions.

“We cannot let these illicit trading practices undermine the agriculture sector and hurt our farmers, particularly those in the sugar industry,” Secretary Tiu Laurel said. 

“I congratulate the BOC for a job well done.”

Tiu Laurel ordered the SRA to blacklist both LMC and Yabai, citing their involvement in illegal importation despite being officially registered with the agency.

He also stressed the importance of stronger coordination among agencies and the full implementation of the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Law, which prohibits bail for violators.

“The closer coordination among government agencies to clamp down on smuggling, as well as the full implementation of the law, should instill fear in those who persist in illegal trading,” the DA chief added.

In addition to sugar, the BOC also confiscated smuggled cigarettes, which pose a threat to the livelihood of local tobacco farmers.

The DA, through its Inspectorate and Enforcement office, reported that it seized P2.83 billion worth of smuggled agricultural goods in 2024 – P1 billion more than in 2023. As of 19 May this year, a total of P407.6 million worth of smuggled farm products has already been confiscated and condemned.