Sugar mills seek increase in duty to curb unwanted imports

Global price crash makes raw sugar viable even at 40% duty, mills' supply glut due to cheap import

Sugar mills have urged the government to raise the import duty on raw sugar to 60 per cent from 40 per cent.

 
The government had allowed import of 500,000 tonnes of raw sugar till June 30, which industry sources said had been contracted for. Mills have imported 477,000 tonnes, but a price crash in the global market has made raw sugar imports viable even with 40 per cent Customs duty. Mills have contracted for another 296,000 tonnes. India will soon be flooded with imported sugar despite abundant local output.
 
A letter from a member of the Indian Sugar Mills