India has announced an extension of the export restrictions on sugar, effective beyond October 31, 2023, and until further notice, as per a notification issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade on Wednesday. The export limitations pertain to various sugar categories, including raw sugar, white sugar, refined sugar, and organic sugar.

Originally, the restrictions were enforced from June 1 to October 31, 2022, and subsequently extended for another year until October 31, 2023. The concept of a tariff rate quota essentially involves setting a quota for exports at lower duties. Once this limit is reached, higher tariffs are applied to any additional shipments.

While making amendments to the export policy, the DGFT has stipulated that exports will be permitted based on the government’s authorization to assist other nations in fulfilling their food security requirements and upon their respective government’s requests.

Consequently, India has authorized the export of non-basmati white rice to a range of countries, including Nepal, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Republic of Guinea, Malaysia, Philippines, Seychelles, UAE, and Singapore.

Among these, the West African nation of Benin stands out as one of the major importers of non-basmati rice from India. Other destinations for Indian non-basmati rice include UAE, Nepal, Bangladesh, China, Cote D’Ivoire, Togo, Senegal, Guinea, Vietnam, Djibouti, Madagascar, Cameroon, Somalia, Malaysia, and Liberia.

India had banned the exports of broken rice in 2022 and imposed a 20 per cent duty on exports of non-Basmati rice, except for parboiled rice amid concerns about low production due to a fall in area under the paddy crop. It later removed the ban in November.