Govt extends duty-free raw sugar import window till Dec 31

The government has extended the duty-free import deadline for 1 million tonnes of raw sugar under the Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) to December 31 to boost domestic supplies during the festive season. According to a finance ministry notification, the import window has been extended to December 31, 2026. On August 20, the government allowed imports of 1 million tonnes of raw sugar until October 31. So far, around 2.6 lakh tonnes has been imported, according to industry data.
Sources said imports have remained subdued due to a lack of price parity. The extension is aimed at securing supplies whenever international prices ease enough to make imports viable. Besides allowing imports, the government has taken a series of measures like imposing stockholding limits on traders to ensure adequate domestic supplies and keep prices in check amid tight availability. Sugar production for the 2025-26 marketing year (October-September) is now estimated at 306 lakh tonnes, down from an earlier forecast of 343 lakh tonnes. Annual domestic demand is pegged at 280-285 lakh tonnes.
This was mainly because government measures to curb domestic prices reduced the incentive to import, in dustry sources said. The government had allowed duty-free imports of raw sugar under the tariff rate quota (TRQ) mechanism after domestic sugar prices hit record highs in August, amid a fall in domestic production and exports of available supplies.