22 January 1988
Reuters News
English
(c) 1988 Reuters Limited 

MANILA, Jan 22 – Sugar industry officials said the Philippines might not be able to sell extra sugar to the U.S. because the U.S. Agriculture Department (USDA) was delaying the issue of guidelines for a re-export plan approved by the U.S. Congress. 

Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) Chairman Arsenio Yulo said he asked President Corazon Aquino to impress on U.S. Agriculture Secretary Richard Lyng the importance of the program for the Philippines’ sugar industry. Lyng will visit Manila from February 9-11. 

Under the program, approved last month by the U.S. Congress, Caribbean nations can ship up to 290,000 short tons and the Philippines up to 110,000 short tons of raw sugar to the United States outside the sugar quota in fiscal 1988. 

The sugar would be refined and re-exported. 

Philippine officials say the program would help compensate for a 23 pct cut in the country’s 1988 export quota to the U.S. to 110,600 short tons from 143,780 tons last year. 

Yulo said it would take time to plan for the re-export program and for growers to plant extra crops. The country could lose 60 million dollars in earnings this year if the program fell though, he said. 

He said the USDA guidelines would give a timetable for exports and list ports of destination. 

Bibiano Sabino, a member of the SRA board, said shipments under the program would have to reach the U.S.before September 30. “We will have barely six months to plant extra crops, decide shipment dates and find buyers,” he said.