Gov’t clears sugar imports through November

Imported refined sugar may start arriving in the country as early as next week following the release of a new Sugar Order from the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), which allows up to 424,000 metric tons (MT) of imported supply to enter the Philippines until November.

The regulator said Wednesday the move, governed by Sugar Order No. 8, Series of 2024-2025, is intended to ensure a sufficient domestic supply and an adequate buffer stock amid growing demand.

The SRA clarified that eligible importers are those who previously supported government efforts to purchase local sugar or participated in the export of raw sugar to the United States under the country’s tariff rate quota allocation.

“Imported sugar classified under this SO shall only be stored in an SRA-registered warehouse or directly to the consumer’s warehouse as indicated in the importer’s application. However, the declared consumer’s warehouses must be pre-inspected to avoid co-mingling of imported sugar stocks and domestic sugar stocks,” the order read.

The agency added that all sugar in this program will be classified as reserve sugar, subject to future disposition or reclassification.

SRA earlier reported that local sugar production for crop year 2024-2025 reached 2.015 million MT as of June 8—up 4.7 percent from the previous year’s 1.92 million MT. However, national demand stands at around 2.3 million MT.

Department of Agriculture data as of 8 July showed retail prices in Metro Manila ranged from P74 to P90 per kilo for refined sugar, P68 to P85 for washed sugar, and P65 to P90 for brown sugar.