The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) in the Philippines has given importers of sugar alternatives until the end of November 2025 to register as an international sugar trader, otherwise they might run the risk of their shipments being held at port.
The SRA issued Memorandum Circular (MC) 6 that outlined the guidelines for the implementation of specific provisions of the agency’s latest rules on imported sugar alternatives.
Under the MC, importers of alternative sugars under Chapter 17 of the 2022 Asean Harmonized Tariff Nomenclature must register with the SRA as an international sugar trader (other sugars and sugar confectionery).
The registration will allow the entities to secure a clearance for release of imported commodities for their sugar alternative shipments. The SRA gave importers until 30 November to register.
Starting 1 December, all importers who are not licensed with the SRA will not be issued with a release clearance for their commodities. The SRA said it already started accepting applications from the importers and traders.
The SRA earlier issued this year Sugar Order 6 that imposed an import clearance fee of Pesos 60 (US$1.05) per metric ton of imported sugar alternative. The new fee applies on all sugar alternatives and sugar-based items under tariff headings 1701, 1702 and 1704.
Commodities belonging to 1701 include sucrose, specialty sugar, flavored syrup while those under 1702 include so-called ‘other sugars’ like lactose, glucose, maltose, maple syrup, honey and caramel. Goods under tariff heading 1704 are sugar confectionery items such as chewing gum and white chocolate not containing cocoa.
The measure is intended to capture the volume of imported sugar alternatives and sugar-based products that enter the country after various players demanded for such regulatory policy as they claimed these sugar alternatives displace the use of locally produced sugar.
In future, SRA will conduct random monitoring and physical inspections of shipments of imported sugar alternatives to ensure that they conform to existing regulations.
