SRA to Impose Higher Import Fees on ‘Other Sugar’ Traders

The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) is set to implement higher import clearance fees on “other sugars,” such as chemically pure lactose, maltose, glucose, and fructose. This move aims to regulate the influx of alternative sweeteners entering the Philippine market.

Proposed Fees

SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona announced that the proposed fees include:

• ₱30 per equivalent bag for high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
• ₱10 per equivalent bag for other types of sugar

The draft sugar order will be deliberated in the next SRA board meeting and could be released by December.

Concerns Over Alternative Sweeteners

The United Sugar Producers Federation of the Philippines and other industry groups have raised concerns about the growing importation of alternative sweeteners. These groups argue that artificial sweeteners could displace sugar farm workers and contribute to stagnation in domestic sugar demand.

Current Impact and Import Data

Azcona revealed that informal data suggests 200,000 to 300,000 metric tons of “other sugars” have already entered the country. Previously, importers of HFCS were charged ₱30 per bag, but this was reduced to ₱1.50, a move the SRA believes contributed to the stagnation in local sugar demand.

“The effort is not to regulate at the moment. Our efforts are meant to gather accurate data and determine the volume and types of [other sugars] arriving in the country,” Azcona said.

The SRA’s proposal aims to address these issues while collecting reliable data to guide future regulations.