Philippines may not export sugar to US this year
The Philippines may not export sugar to the United States this year due to production constraints in local sugarcane, according to the Sugar Regulatory Administration.
The Philippines may forego exporting sugar to the United States this year, according to the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA). SRA administrator Pablo Luis Azcona stated that local sugarcane production could fall short of meeting the US export quota. The 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 crop years saw the Philippines skip raw sugar shipments due to insufficient domestic production.
Azcona noted that floods last year affected sugarcane areas, and ongoing red-striped soft scale (RSSI) infestation and the upcoming El Niño dry spell could further impact harvests. He said the SRA will finalize its decision on exports once the sugar milling season begins by October 1, 2026. The US Trade Representative has retained the Philippines' sugar export quota at 145,235 metric ton raw value for the upcoming market year, which runs from October 1, 2026, to September 20, 2027.
The Philippines exported about 99,000 metric tons of raw sugar to the US in the last crop year, with 66,085 MT in 2025 and 24,179 MT in 2024. Industry group United Sugar Producers Federation (UNIFED) president Manuel Lamata warned that the incoming production this year may not be enough to meet both local and industrial demands, potentially leading to a revision of the country's sugar export plans.
Written by urgent.news from Philippine Star Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
