EU to Hold Last Tender to Import Sugar at Reduced Duty

The European Union will hold the last of five planned tenders on Sep. 28, 2011 to import sugar at a reduced duty rate to ease shortages in the bloc, according to the European Commission, the EU's executive arm.

The deadline for offers is noon Brussels time, European Commission spokesman Roger Waite said. The results of the tender will be confirmed at tomorrow's management committee meeting and published in the EU's Official Journal on Sept. 30, he said.

The bloc has already imported 280,495 metric tons of raw- sugar for refining, 3,761 tons of raw sugar not for refining, 52,697 tons of white, or refined, sugar and 20 tons of other sugars at reduced duty under the last four tenders, according to the commission.