The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) has issued a sugar order extending the deadline of arrival of 9,194.10 metric tons (MT) of sugar without clearance applications from the previous crop year’s import program.
The extension of arrival is seen beefing up local supply.
Under Sugar Order 3 (SO 3) series 2022-2023 released on Wednesday, import applications submitted before September 30 will be considered for the said volume with actual arrival allowed until October 31.
The 9,194.10 MT of sugar form part of the 200,000 MT of imported sugar allowed to come into the country by SO 3 series 2021-2022 issued last February. The SO originally wanted all the volume to arrive no later than May 1.
The more recent SO3 also allowed the reclassification of 12,913 MT of sugar originally meant as reserves for domestic use. The order was signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as concurrent SRA chairperson and Department of Agriculture (DA) secretary; Domingo Panganiban, DA undersecretary; David Alba, SRA administrator; Mitzi Mangwag, SRA millers representative; and Pablo Azcona, SRA planters representative,
Earlier, the SRA through SO 2 series 2022-2023, also allowed the entry of 75,000 MT of refined sugar for industrial users and another 75,000 MT for consumers to arrive on or before November 15.
As of October 14, SRA issued clearances for the SO to 13 international traders with a total volume of 33,772.50 MT of refined sugar intended for consumers and end users and another 6,625 MT for industrial users. – Jed Macapagal
