Islamabad – Pakistan is set to import 300,000 tons of refined sugar via international and government-to-government (G2G) routes in an attempt to manage the prices and domestic consumption. The first shipment is expected in early September 2025, following the issuance of an international tender by the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP).
To ease the import, the government has waived customs duties and reduced sales and withholding taxes to 0.25%, according to a notification issued last week. The decision follows a steep rise in local sugar prices, now ranging between Rs170 to Rs190 per kg, after the country exported over 750,000 tons of sugar earlier this year due to a reported surplus.
Sources indicate that Azerbaijan is one of the potential suppliers under the G2G arrangement. Officials say the imports are necessary to stabilize the local market, especially after crop losses reduced sugarcane output to 5.8 million tons, below the required 6.3 million tons.
The approved import plan by a high-level committee headed by the Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has shown concerns on subsidies and transparency under IMF supervision. The government, however, maintains that the action is meant to secure consumer relief and national price stability.
