The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) has greenlit the importation of up to 424,000 metric tons (MT) of refined sugar in a bid to ensure stable domestic supply and maintain sufficient buffer stock.
The import window is set between 15 July and 30 November 2025, with imports designated as reserve sugar pending future reclassification or disposition. Only qualified importers, or those who supported the government’s local sugar procurement efforts or participated in sugar exports to the U.S. under the country’s tariff rate quota, will be allowed to bring in shipments.
The SRA said the imported sugar under SO 8 Series 2024 – 2025 must be stored in SRA-registered or pre-inspected consumer warehouses to prevent mixing with domestic stocks.
The policy move follows the SRA’s earlier projection of a 4.7 percent rise in local sugar output, reaching 2.015 million MT as of 8 June, but still short of the estimated 2.3 million MT domestic demand.
Refined sugar in Metro Manila retails from ₱74 to ₱90 per kilogram at present, based on Department of Agriculture data.
The import order is seen as a crucial step in stabilizing supply and easing price pressures, especially as the country heads into the lean months for sugar production.
