Mexico Won’t Raise Sugar Quota This Year, Official Says

September 28th, 2011

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Category: Sugar

(Bloomberg) – Mexico, the world’s sixth-largest sugar producer, doesn’t plan to increase its sugar-import quota again this year as domestic buyers switch to lower-cost corn syrup, said a government committee official.

The committee known as Conadesuca doesn’t see a need to proceed with another sugar-import quota, said the person today in a telephone interview from Mexico City. The 150,000-ton quota that was being considered shouldn’t be approved or published in the nation’s official gazette, the official said. Conadesuca recommends sugar-import policies for Mexico.

In May, Mexico approved a quota of 150,000 tons to cover a possible sugar shortfall and stabilize prices amid record level exports to the U.S. arranged the prior year. Last month, the Economy Ministry said it may authorize a second import quota for the same amount for the start of the 2011-2012 season.

Mexico’s sugar chamber doesn’t expect more imports this year as the pace of exports has slowed, Juan Cortina, the trade group president said in a Sept. 21 interview.

Mexico, a net exporter of sugar, regulates the industry of the sweetener by setting import quotas.

In August, there was surplus of sugar in Mexico of 1.2 million tons, according to a preliminary report by Conadesuca.

Sugar inventories are enough to cover any domestic demand until November, the official said. By then, Mexico will have the first results of its new sugar season, he said.

–Editor: Robin Saponar

To contact the reporters on this story: Carlos M. Rodriguez in Mexico City at carlosmr@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Dale Crofts at dcrofts@bloomberg.net

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