Import duty on sugar likely as acreage improves

14 Jun 2011 Evaluate

The government is likely to impose an import duty on sugar, as cane planting picks up in the country. A decision on the food ministry’s proposal to end duty-free imports of sugar is likely to be taken by the finance ministry in a week’s time. The finance ministry has sought 15% import duty. In April, the government had allowed duty-free imports till June 30, extending an earlier deadline.

India is the world's top sugar consumer and the biggest producer after Brazil. Production in the 2010-11 season, which ends in September, is forecast to touch 24.5 million tonne, against an annual consumption of about 22 million tonne. Output in the previous season was 19 million tonne. The domestic sugar industry is now lobbying to convince the food and commerce ministries that it is necessary to urgently open up the exports quota, which has already been exhausted.

A decision on opening up exports is necessary as sugar output in 2011-12 is projected to be about 29.3 million tonne, higher than the previous season’s. Till date, sugar mills have exported almost 400,000 tonne of the half million tonne allowed by the government under open general license (OGL) for the 2010-11 sugar year, which started in October.

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