VIDEO // Moldovan government limits sugar imports from Serbia

The government today ruled to limit the import of sugar from Serbia for a period of 200 days. Deputy Prime Minister Doina Nistor has said that the measure was necessary, in order to ensure balance in the local market, protect consumers and local producers and prevent increases in sugar prices.

The provisional measure of protecting the domestic market approved by the government consists of temporarily suspending customs duty exemptions for the import of white beet sugar from Serbia, beyond the quota of 1,000 tons.

Deputy PM, Minister of Economic Development and Digitalization Doina Nistor said that the measure was necessary to support the competitiveness of the national sugar industry, protect local consumers of Moldova, as well as farmers and sugar producers.

"This is a proportional and justified intervention, meant to correct imbalances caused by imports priced lower than domestic production prices. We have sufficient sugar stocks. This year, we have a good sugar beet harvest. Companies estimate we will have a total of 78,000 tons of sugar, enough to cover domestic consumption in 2025 and 2026," emphasized Doina Nistor.

The deputy minister also highlighted the potential risks, if the temporary protection measure were not applied. "Without this protective measure, we risk having local production completely replaced by imported sugar, endangering the industrial value chain we have built over the last two decades and investments in the sector," noted the deputy prime minister.

"This measure also aims to protect the local consumers, because it will not lead to increases in sugar price, but will restore market balance," noted Doina Nistor.

The deputy PM also said that the measure established by the government was in line with the country's bilateral trade agreements and had been communicated to the Serbian authorities. "The decision does not limit trade; we are merely restoring market balance, while protecting farmers and consumers and strengthening the food security of Moldova," Doina Nistor said.

"On the other hand, the industry and the entire value chain must ensure transparency and efficiency improvements," said Prime Minister Dorin Recean.

The measure of the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization (MDED) responds to the imbalance caused in 2025 by sugar imports priced lower than internal production costs. According to MDED, this imbalance was created after the severe drought in 2024, which hot more than 60 per cent of sugar beet cultivated areas, thus necessitating larger sugar imports for domestic consumption.

Also today, the cabinet of ministers voted on an amendment allowing producers of jams, candies, pastries or ice cream to directly import necessary sugar. Imports will be able to be made exactly when needed, thereby optimizing production flow.

The authorities propose allocating 3,000 tons of the available 5,500-ton sugar import quota from the European Union exclusively for industrial processing, based on clear supporting documents, which guarantee the usage on production purposes.