DGFT Opens Daily Allocation of Balance 2,02,550 MT Under the Duty-Free Raw Sugar Import TRQ

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has, through Public Notice No. 28/2026-27 dated 1 September 2026, invited fresh applications from eligible sugar millers and refiners for the balance quantity available under the tariff-rate quota (TRQ) for import of raw sugar. Against the 10 lakh tonne (1,000,000 MT) TRQ notified on 20 August 2026, applications totalling 7,97,450 MT were received and allocated in the first round, leaving 2,02,550 MT available. The notable procedural change is that this balance is now being allocated on a daily basis, rather than as a one-time allocation.

What Happened

The government opened a TRQ for import of raw sugar to ease domestic availability and prices. The first public notice (20 August 2026, with a corrigendum on 24 August 2026) ran a one-time allocation round, following the recommendations of a committee constituted for TRQ sugar allocation that met on 28 August 2026. With part of the quota still unallocated, PN 28/2026-27 reopened the window for the remaining 2,02,550 MT.

Under the fresh notice, eligible millers and refiners apply online through the DGFT portal under the Import Management System's Tariff Rate Quota module. Key mechanics:

The application window remains open for seven days from the date of publication of the notice. Allocation is on a daily basis: applications received up to 5:30 PM on a given day form one batch and are processed on the next working day, subject to scrutiny and eligibility; applications after the cut-off roll into the next day's batch. Allocation for each day's batch is made in the order of aggregate demand for that day on a self-declaration basis. If the cumulative quantity applied for on a given day, added to what has already been allocated up to the previous day, exceeds the available balance, allocation is made pro-rata among that day's applicants in proportion to the quantity each applied for. Once the quota is fully allocated, later applicants will be informed via the portal and not considered. The portal's date-and-time stamp determines which day an application belongs to; no manual or offline submissions are accepted. All other terms and conditions from the earlier public notice and its corrigendum continue to apply.

Why It Matters

A TRQ allows a fixed quantity to be imported at a concessional (here, duty-free) rate, which materially changes landed cost for refiners and millers versus imports outside the quota. Because the balance is allocated daily and pro-rata on heavy-demand days, timing and accuracy of the online application directly affect how much quota an applicant actually secures. Getting the self-declaration and quantities right, and applying early in the window, are the practical levers.

Who's Affected

The notice is directed at eligible sugar millers and refiners seeking to import raw sugar under the quota. It also concerns their customs house agents and logistics partners, who must align vessel and clearance planning to the quota quantities allocated and to the overall import timeline for the scheme. Downstream buyers of refined sugar are indirectly affected through availability and price.

What Importers and CHAs Should Do Now

• Confirm eligibility as a miller or refiner under the scheme's terms before applying, and read PN 28/2026-27 together with the original notice of 20 August 2026 and the 24 August corrigendum, since those terms continue to govern.

• Apply through the DGFT portal's Import Management System TRQ module within the seven-day window, and apply early — the daily batch and pro-rata rules mean late or bunched applications risk a scaled-down allocation.

• State quantities carefully on a self-declaration basis; over- or under-stating affects both your pro-rata share and compliance.

• Plan sourcing, shipping and customs clearance around the allocated quantity and the scheme's overall timeline so imports are completed within the permitted period.

• Keep the portal date-and-time stamp acknowledgement for each application as your record of the batch it falls in.

The Bigger Picture

Duty-free or concessional TRQs are a standard policy tool to balance domestic supply and prices without permanently altering the tariff. For importers, they are attractive but administratively exacting: quotas are finite, allocation rules can shift between rounds (as the move from one-time to daily allocation here shows), and the benefit is only as good as a correctly filed, timely application. Traders active in agri-commodity imports should treat TRQ notices as time-critical and monitor the DGFT portal closely for the specific modalities of each round.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much quota is still available? Public Notice 28/2026-27 covers the balance of 2,02,550 MT, after 7,97,450 MT of the 10 lakh MT TRQ was allocated in the first round.

Who can apply? Eligible sugar millers and refiners, per the scheme's terms, applying online through the DGFT portal's Import Management System TRQ module.

How is the balance allocated? On a daily, batch-wise, self-declaration basis in order of aggregate demand for the day; if a day's demand plus prior allocations exceeds the balance, allocation is pro-rata among that day's applicants.

What happens if I apply after the quota is exhausted? Applications received after the quota is fully allocated are not considered, and applicants are informed through the DGFT portal.

Conclusion

DGFT has reopened the raw sugar TRQ for its balance 2,02,550 MT, switching to daily, pro-rata allocation via the Import Management System. Eligible millers and refiners should apply early and accurately within the window and align their import logistics to the quantity secured, referring to the official public notice for binding terms.

This article is for general guidance only. For the authoritative and complete terms, refer to DGFT Public Notice No. 28/2026-27 and related notices on the DGFT portal (www.dgft.gov.in).