The United States Trade Representative (USTR) has maintained the Philippines’ allocation of 145,235 metric tons (MT) of raw cane sugar under the World Trade Organization (WTO) tariff-rate quota (TRQ) system for fiscal year 2026, covering the period from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026.
This makes the Philippines the third largest beneficiary of the U.S. sugar TRQ after the Dominican Republic (189,343 MT) and Brazil (155,993 MT), the USTR announced over the weekend.
The TRQ allows eligible countries to export specified volumes of sugar to the U.S. at reduced tariff, with shipments beyond the quota subjected to higher duties. The Philippines has long been part of a select group of countries granted premium market access.
The retention of the quota comes amid domestic supply constraints. According to Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) administrator Pablo Azcona, all sugar produced in the 2024–2025 crop year is reserved for domestic use due to ongoing production shortfalls relative to national demand. No official announcement has yet been made on whether imports will be permitted to free up local stock for export to fulfill the U.S. quota.
Preliminary data as of July 27 showed raw sugar production reached 2.084 million MT, an 8.5 percent increase from the previous year, harvested from 405,000 hectares of sugarcane. The Department of Agriculture (DA) said that meeting the target of 2.3 million MT will depend on favorable conditions and sustained industry support.
Domestic sugar prices remain elevated, with refined sugar retailing between P74 and P90 per kilo in Metro Manila as of 14 August.
Both the DA and the SRA have yet to issue official statements on the U.S. quota retention.
