2 hrs ago
India Extends Sugar Import Quota Surrender Deadline Amid Price Rise
India gave sugar importers more time, until September 30, to give back import permits they cannot use.
The permits are part of a plan allowing 10 lakh tonnes of raw sugar to enter India without import duty.
Importers must pay a small fee on any quota they do not use or surrender.
Some refiners also received permission to sell imported sugar in India.
The government expects less sugar to be produced this season because diseases damaged sugarcane crops.
Officials say there is still enough sugar for people in India.
They believe some traders are keeping sugar in storage, or hoarding it, while waiting for prices to rise.
Sugar prices in many places are now higher than they were in July.
The government has asked sugar mills to report production and sales accurately and keep prices reasonable.
The Directorate-General of Foreign Trade extended the sugar import quota surrender deadline to September 30.
Importers must pay 0.5% of the CIF value for unutilised or surrendered quota.
The government approved about 8 lakh tonnes of imports under a 10-lakh-tonne zero-duty raw sugar scheme.
Sugar production for October 2025-September 2026 was revised down to about 306 lakh tonnes from 343 lakh tonnes.
The Food Ministry blamed hoarding for higher prices, with retail sugar selling at about Rs 60-70 per kilogram in many places.
- Who
- The Directorate-General of Foreign Trade, sugar importers, refiners, sugar mills, and the Food Ministry.
- What
- The sugar import quota surrender deadline was extended to September 30, with a 0.5% CIF-value payment required for unutilised or surrendered quota.
- Where
- India.
- When
- The extension was reported on September 15, 2026; the surrender deadline is September 30.
- Why
- The extension applies to importers unable to use their quotas, while the government is also addressing higher sugar prices and a projected production decline.
Key facts
- Import scheme
- Zero-duty imports of up to 10 lakh tonnes of raw sugar.
- Approved import quota
- About 8 lakh tonnes was approved for import.
- Surrender deadline
- September 30, 2026.
- Quota payment
- 0.5% of the CIF value for unutilised or surrendered quantity.
- Production estimate
- About 306 lakh tonnes for October 2025-September 2026, down from an initial estimate of 343 lakh tonnes.
- Retail prices
- About Rs 60-70 per kilogram in many places, compared with Rs 45-50 per kilogram in July.
- Reported causes of crop damage
- Red Rot and Top Borer diseases.
Quotes
Ashwini Srivastava
Joint secretary in India’s Food Ministry
“It is the collective responsibility of the entire sector to ensure that prices remain stable. There is no justification for any price rise during festivals.”
thehindubusinessline.com
“We have asked mills to provide accurate monthly production and sugar sale data.”
thehindubusinessline.com
Sources
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