The Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) has invited fresh international bids to export 108,000 metric tonnes of surplus white refined sugar, this time without fixing any reserve price, after its first attempt in September failed to attract a single bidder. The new tender was reported on November 10, 2026, with bids due by November 13.
What happened?
The state-run grain trader has issued its second international tender for the export of 108,000 metric tonnes of imported white refined sugar, inviting foreign buyers, their authorised representatives and exporters to bid for the stock in full or in part. The sugar is stored at TCP’s Pipri Godown in Karachi. The move follows the federal government’s approval to export the surplus stocks before the new sugar production arrives.
The first tender, issued in September, drew no bids at all, mainly because TCP had set a minimum reserve price of USD 660 per metric tonne, well above the international price of around USD 505 to USD 515 per tonne for white refined sugar. With the government’s approval, the second tender sets no reserve price, in an effort to attract international buyers.
Key details
- The tender covers 108,000 metric tonnes of white refined sugar, comprising 96,000 tonnes of fine-grain sugar and 11,086 tonnes of medium-grain sugar, according to the tender documents.
- Bids must be submitted by 11:00 am on November 13, 2026, and will be opened at 11:30 am the same day at TCP’s principal office in Karachi. A pre-bid meeting is scheduled for November 11.
- The minimum bid quantity is 10,000 metric tonnes for fine-grain sugar and 11,086 metric tonnes for medium-grain sugar, and bids will remain valid for 72 working hours from the submission deadline.
- Bidders must quote separate prices in US dollars per metric tonne for the two varieties, on an Ex-Works basis. Loading and transportation costs will be borne by the buyers, while applicable taxes, levies and duties will also be payable by the successful bidders.
- Payment will be by full advance payment in foreign currency or an irrevocable Letter of Credit payable at sight, before a Delivery Order is issued.
- Buyers must lift the awarded quantities within 90 days of bid acceptance; TCP may impose storage and demurrage charges if stocks are not lifted in time.
- The sugar stocks were surveyed and tested by Bureau Veritas in September 2026, and prospective buyers may inspect them at Pipri Godown on working days between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm until the bidding deadline.
- Bidders with outstanding dues to TCP will not be eligible unless they clear their liabilities before the bid opening, and firms facing blacklisting proceedings are also barred.
- The sugar was imported in 2025 to avert a domestic shortage, but is now surplus, and the government wants it exported before the next crushing season.
What it means for people in Pakistan
If the second tender succeeds, the sale will bring in foreign exchange and clear government-held stocks before the new crushing season begins. Dropping the reserve price gives the tender a much better chance than the September attempt, which failed because the asking price sat far above world market rates. For consumers, clearing the surplus through exports rather than holding it in storage also removes a cost the state would otherwise carry.
Source: Business Recorder — TCP invites fresh bids for sugar export
