Government allows duty-free import of 10 lakh tonnes of raw sugar until October 31
The Indian government has authorized the duty-free import of 10 lakh tonnes of raw sugar until October 31, 2026, to stabilize rising domestic prices. Additionally, new stockholding limits have been imposed on bulk consumers to ensure supply availability during the upcoming festival season.
Why it matters
This policy intervention directly impacts food inflation and supply chain management for the food processing industry in India.
The government on Thursday (August 20, 2026) allowed duty-free imports of 10 lakh tonnes of raw sugar under a Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) till October 31 amid rising prices of the sweetener in local markets. The move is aimed at enhancing domestic availability and capping price rises.
To control prices, the government also imposed a stockholding limit on bulk consumers using more than 10 tonnes of sugar a month. “The import policy for raw sugar is amended to allow 10 lakh MT of duty-free imports under Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) till October 31, 2026,” the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification.
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