The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) is seeking comments on a sugar order that will to fulfill the Philippines’ quota of raw sugar exports to the United States this year.
SRA Administrator Pablo Azcona told reporters in an interview yesterday there are at least 20 exporters which signified interest to fill the volume to be shipped out to the US under the tariff-rate quota (TRQ) scheme.
But Azcona said logistics is an issue because these entities have not exported for three years.
“Ports (previously) used for (loading exports) are no longer capable of doing it,” Azcona said.
The Office of the US Trade Representative has increased the allocated quantity of raw cane sugar from the Philippines eligible to enter the US at a lower duty rate under the World Trade Organization’s TRQ for fiscal year 2024.
The Philippines was given an additional 25,300 metric tons (MT) on top of the earlier allocation of 145,235 MT for a a total of 170,535.
USTR’s fiscal year 202 is from Oct. 1, 2023 through Sept. 30, 2024
The Philippines is one of the select countries given an annual allocation of sugar export to the US market at a premium.
“Our exporters do not want to lose our US quota if we do not serve that for a long time. Because we really need it sometimes to stabilize our local prices,” Azcona said.
The Philippines last shipped raw sugar to the US market during crop year 2020 to 2021 totaling 112,008 MT of commercial weight.
