India bans sugar exports till Sept 2026 to cool retail prices
DGFT moved sugar from 'restricted' to 'prohibited' with immediate effect, locking exports until Sept 30, 2026. Move aims to shore up domestic supply and tame food inflation, with only EU/US quota and pipeline shipments exempted. Output projected at 261 lakh tonne against 275 lakh tonne demand.
What happened
DGFT · India banned sugar exports with immediate effect until Sept 30, 2026, upgrading from 'restricted' to 'prohibited', to boost domestic availability and
Key facts
- Sept 30, 2026
- 275 lakh tonne
- 293 lakh tonne
- 261 lakh tonne
- 15 lakh tonne
- 5 lakh tonne
- 87,587 tonne
- 7.3%
Why this matters
Window opens to lock multi-year domestic offtake contracts with mills hungry for guaranteed buyers, and to revisit stalled M&A in integrated sugar-ethanol players whose export optionality is now structurally impaired.