US Allocates Additional Sugar Export Quota to Philippines Amid Production Concerns

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has received an additional allocation of 9,151 metric tons raw value (MTRV) for raw sugar exports to the United States, according to the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR). This brings the Philippines' total raw sugar export quota to the U.S. to 154,386 MTRV. This allocation is part of the 1.12 million MTRV under the U.S. tariff-rate quota (TRQ) system for the 2027 fiscal year, which runs from October 1, 2026, to September 30, 2027. The additional allocation to the Philippines is the second largest, following the Dominican Republic, which was given 11,931 MTRV. Under Washington’s TRQ system, specific countries are allowed to export specific quantities of products to the U.S. at lower tariff rates, providing wider access to Philippine-produced commodities. However, Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) administrator Pablo Luis Azcona stated that the agency has sought an extension from the U.S. government before it can make a formal commitment. "We need to monitor and verify our raw production," he added. Azcona told reporters earlier that the country may not export raw sugar to the U.S. for the incoming crop year due to a projected decline in sugar output, stemming from the effects of the red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI). He noted that raw sugar production could decline by 10 percent to 1.66 million metric tons (MT) in the 2026-2027 milling season, lower than the 1.85 million MT produced during the 2025-2026 season. The RSSI infestation continues to endanger the sugar industry, feeding on cane fluids and slashing sugar content by as much as 50 percent. The country had previously opted out of exporting raw sugar to the U.S. during the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 crop years, amid insufficient local production. The Department of Agriculture earlier allowed the export of 100,000 MT of raw sugar to the U.S. during the 2025-2026 crop year to reduce an oversupply of sugar and ease declining farmgate prices. The Philippines has shipped a total of 99,538 MT of raw sugar to the U.S. during the 2025-2026 crop year, according to SRA data as of Sept. 6.