The United States has reduced its planned 17% tariff on sugar imports to 10%, according to Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) chief Pablo Luis Azcona, reported Digicast Negros.
Azcona said on Saturday, April 19, that the existing tariff of 1.46 cents per pound will remain in place, with the 10% tariff applied on top of it. The 17% tariff, initially set to take effect, has been suspended until July 9.
“The suspension of the 17 percent is until July 9, after which we do not know what will happen,” Azcona said.
The Philippines, which holds a 143,000-metric ton quota under the US sugar import program, has allocated 66,235 metric tons of raw sugar for export to the United States for the 2024–2025 crop year.
Azcona said the country plans to ship the first half of the allocation in May and the second half in June. The goal is to have the sugar arrive in the US before the July 9 deadline.
The SRA chief also noted that industry stakeholders met on April 15 and agreed on the export schedule to make the most of the reduced tariff window.
Exporters had previously expressed concern over the tariff increase, which they feared would affect the competitiveness of Philippine sugar in the US market. The tariff move had been linked to an earlier decision by former US President Donald Trump to impose a 17% tariff on certain Philippine goods, including sugar.
