Protection of domestic industries Costa Rica intends to impos import duties on sucrose

Currently, Costa Rica's Ministry of Economy, Industry and Trade (MEIC) is considering raising import tariffs on sucrose.
Costa Rican website laprensalibre.cr reported on 9 July that the initiative to introduce tariffs on sugar cane had been put forward by the Costa Rican Union of Sugarcane Agriculture and Industry (Laica) with the aim of protecting the country's sugar industry.
, Maquila Lama, Costa Rica's largest food producer, objected on the grounds that consumer-facing sugar prices would rise, all importers would suffer as a result, and sources of sugar, such as Brazil and Canada, would suffer.
for Maquila Lama, Laica's proposal is unfounded because the latter has so far failed to prove that sugar imports have taken a toll on the domestic sugar industry.
It is clear that the price of sucrose in Costa Rica has been the same for many years, and consumers have more choices about sugar than ever before, which helps to create a competitive market. Edgar Herrera, chief executive and head of marketing at
Laica, explains that the global sugar market has been severely distorted by the European Union's open tariff quotas on sugar, China's stricter import measures and subsidies to sugar cane growers in big sugar-producing countries such as India.
"In recent years, Costa Rica's sugar imports have continued to grow, causing serious damage to the domestic sugarcane industry, and if we do not take appropriate trade defences, the losses we suffer will be irreversible, and thousands of independent producers in rural areas will face a reduction in income and many jobs will disappear," Herrera said.
" in addition, he believes that the claim that sugar prices will rise after the import tax rate is increased is "fabricated".
, according to Laica, there are currently about 8,000 people in Costa Rica engaged in sucrose production, 90 per cent of which comes from small and medium-sized production units.