News Details

DA Extends Sugar Import Ban Until December 2026 to Protect Local Producers

NPO

•

10 hours ago

MANILA – The Department of Agriculture (DA) clarified on Sunday that the suspension on sugar importation will remain in effect until December next year, and not in September when the current crop year ends, as the government moves to further protect local sugar producers amid improving domestic supply conditions.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said the decision is based on the latest production and demand outlook, noting that a longer import moratorium is necessary to ensure market stability.

“Based on the current outlook for sugar production and demand, a longer import moratorium than initially suggested is necessary,” Tiu Laurel said, citing stronger domestic raw sugar output. He stressed that the policy is intended to prioritize locally produced sugar and support fair pricing for farmers.

As chair of the Sugar Board, the policymaking body of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), Tiu Laurel said the agency will intensify monitoring of refinery operations to maintain accurate data on standard and premium-grade refined sugar inventories. He emphasized that close monitoring is crucial to preventing supply distortions and speculative pricing.

In addition to the import ban, the DA and SRA are finalizing a long-pending regulatory framework for molasses importation to further safeguard domestic producers. Under the proposed rules, molasses users will be required to first purchase and withdraw locally produced molasses. Imports will only be allowed after these requirements are met and based on a predetermined ratio, subject to SRA approval.

The planned mechanism mirrors the previous Sugar Order No. 2 (SO2) system, which linked import and export privileges to actual purchases of local sugar. Tiu Laurel said the approach helped reduce discretion in allocations, minimize corruption risks, and increase demand for locally produced sugar, ultimately leading to higher farmgate prices.

With the extension of the sugar import ban and the introduction of stricter molasses regulations, the DA is signaling a more proactive and data-driven sugar policy—one aimed at curbing market abuse and placing local producers at the forefront of the industry’s recovery.

NPO News Team | DA-PR