The Department of Agriculture (DA) said the ban on sugar imports will remain in place until December 2026, clarifying that it will not end in September 2026 when the current crop year ends.
According to the DA, the extended ban is meant to continue protecting local sugar producers as domestic supply improves. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said current production and demand data show the need for a longer import moratorium.
Tiu Laurel noted that local raw sugar output has strengthened, and the policy aims to prioritize Philippine-made sugar and keep the market stable. As head of the Sugar Board, he said the government will tighten monitoring of sugar refineries to closely track refined sugar supplies and prevent shortages or price manipulation.
Beyond the import ban, the DA is also finalizing long-delayed rules on molasses imports. Under the proposed system, molasses users will be required to buy locally produced molasses first before being allowed to import a limited amount, subject to approval by the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).
The DA said the approach follows earlier SRA policies that linked import and export privileges to purchases of local sugar, a system that helped reduce corruption, boost demand for local produce, and raise farmgate prices.
The department said the extended ban and stricter molasses rules reflect a tougher, data-driven sugar policy focused on protecting local producers and preventing market abuse.
As of Sunday, DA monitoring showed retail prices in Metro Manila at P80.64 per kilo for refined sugar, P73.45 for washed sugar, and P71.82 for brown sugar. Meanwhile, SRA data showed the average millsite price of raw sugar fell to P2,363.45 per 50-kilo bag as of November 23, down 1.5 percent from the previous week.
