The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) on Wednesday approved the importation of 424,000 metric tons (MT) of refined sugar under Sugar Order 8, marking the first approved sugar importation for the 2024-2025 cropping year.

The SRA said the importation seeks to sustain the country’s “sufficient actual supply of sugar for domestic consumption and buffer stock.”

As of June 22, the country’s supply of refined sugar was at 1.12 million MT, according to the SRA.

Eligible participants for the importation program are licensed SRA international sugar traders in good standing. This includes traders who have participated in the voluntary purchase of locally produced sugar from farmers, or those who have exported sugar to the United States.

The arrival of imports, likewise, will be allowable from July 15 to Nov. 30.

The SRA, meanwhile, reiterated that the importation of ineligible traders or those without approved allocation may be considered “smuggling,” which may be prosecuted under the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act. (PNA)