In another attempt to contain surging sugar prices, the Centre on Thursday allowed 1 million tonnes of raw sugar to be imported duty-free under a tariff-rate quota (TRQ) until October 31. The government’s notification, however, allows only raw sugar to be imported, which must first be refined before it can reach the market as white sugar.
The last time India allowed the import of raw sugar was during the 2016-17 season.
Also read: India allows duty-free imports of 1 million metric tons of raw sugar
Duty-free raw sugar imports cleared ahead of festive demand
The move comes as supplies tighten ahead of India’s peak sugar-demand period, which runs broadly from August through November, when festivals such as Ganesh Chaturthi, Dussehra and Diwali lift demand from households, sweet shops and food companies. The order comes on the heel of sugar prices surging to new peaks. Sugar prices in key Karnataka markets rose to as much as ₹7,100 per 100kg on Thursday.