Raw Sugar Import Tariff to Fall in June

The import tariff on raw cane sugar will fall to $140 per ton in June after the expiry of a $220 per ton seasonal tariff, the Economic Development and Trade Ministry said.

The seasonal tariff, in force from Dec. 1 to the end of May, was set to protect domestic producers from excessive shipments.

The country refines about 45 percent of the white sugar it consumes from imported raw sugar and most of the rest from domestic beet.

The country refined 2.85 million tons of sugar from imported raw sugar in 2007, up from 2.62 million in 2006.

It refined 3.13 million tons of sugar from the 2007 domestic beet crop, which was down from 3.27 million a year ago.

Raw sugar refining from imported raws fell by 55 percent to 618,900 tons from the start of the 2008 to April 30 because of the high tariff.