LAHORE: Pakistan’s Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) has issued a fresh international tender to purchase 100,000 metric tons of white refined sugar, according to European traders.
The deadline for submission of price offers is July 31. This step comes as the government intensifies efforts to stabilize the domestic sugar market, which has seen sharp price increases since early this year.
The tender follows a government plan approved on July 8 to import a total of 500,000 tons of sugar to meet rising demand and ease supply shortages. Retail sugar prices in Pakistan have surged significantly since January, impacting consumers and raising concerns among policymakers about food inflation and affordability.
Earlier attempts to procure sugar faced challenges, with a July 22 tender for 50,000 tons reportedly receiving no bids. Traders pointed to the short shipment window-from August 1 to 15-as a key reason why suppliers could not submit offers. Learning from this, the new tender provides extended shipment dates and multiple shipping options to attract more bidders.
The tender now allows breakbulk shipments of 50,000 tons between August 21 and September 5, or between September 1 and 15, along with containerized shipments from August 21 to September 10. All sugar shipments are expected to arrive in Pakistan by September 30, allowing time for distribution before the expected sugar demand surge during festive seasons.
Pakistan has excluded India and Israel as sources for these imports due to political considerations. The government’s focus remains on securing sugar from other international markets to ensure price stability and protect consumers from further inflationary pressures.
