Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 24
By Fatih Karimov – Trend:
The Iranian government has reduced tariff on the import of sugar from 26 percent to 20 percent, Bahman Danaei, the head of Iran's Sugar Producers Association, said.
This is while almost 320,000 tons of sugar, unloaded in Iranian ports is waiting to be cleared for the new tariff from the customs, Danaei said, Fars news agency reported Apr. 24.
The sugar price in global market increased by $510 per ton in recent months, so the association requested the government to decrease the tariff, he added.
Danaei further said that a 300,000-ton sugar shipment will also arrive Iran soon.
He noted that Iran’s sugar reserve stood at 750,000 tons in early April, adding that the figure will surpass 1.65 million tons by end of June 2017.
The Iranian administration removed ban on the import of sugar in January 2017, in order for gradual import of 700,000 tons of sugar.
The government imposes ban on rice and sugar imports in various periods to support domestic producers.
Iranians consume around 2.2 million tons of sugar per year.
Iran plans to import 600,000 tons of sugar from Brazil from March 2017.
In June 2016 the decision by Iranian government to ban importing sugar into the country led to some chocolate manufacturers to halt production due to lack of the principal ingredients.
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