Russia May Extend Raw Sugar Import Duty to August

The customs union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan may extend a restrictive duty on raw sugar imports by three months due to a record harvest of sugar beets, Interfax reported, citing Ivan Danchenko, head of the Belarusian state-run producer Belgospischeprom.

Sugar producers asked customs to extend the seasonal duty of $140 a metric ton to Aug. 1 instead of decreasing it to $50 a ton on May 1, the Moscow-based newswire reported. Andrey Bodin, head of Russian Sugar Producers' Union, declined to comment when contacted by Bloomberg News.