Sugar Futures at Over 1-Year High

2026-08-18 14:41 By Luisa Carvalho 1 min. read

US sugar futures extended their recent gains, climbing above 17 cents per pound to their highest level since May 2025.

The market remains supported by prospects of a tighter global supply, with the strongest El Niño in decades adding to production risks.

Analysts have been revising up their forecasts for a global sugar shortfall in 2026/27, with the deficit potentially widening further in 2027/28 on lower cane and beet plantings.

India, the EU and Thailand are among the regions identified as most vulnerable to adverse weather conditions.

At the same time, elevated oil prices could encourage cane diversion to ethanol production in major producers like Brazil.

The country raised its mandatory ethanol blend to 32% in late July from 30% a month earlier and 27% a year earlier, potentially reducing sugar availability.

Meanwhile, India is considering lowering its sugar import duty.until end-October to bolster supplies and curb record prices, adding to pressure on global supplies.



News Stream
Sugar Futures at Over 1-Year High
US sugar futures extended their recent gains, climbing above 17 cents per pound to their highest level since May 2025. The market remains supported by prospects of a tighter global supply, with the strongest El Niño in decades adding to production risks. Analysts have been revising up their forecasts for a global sugar shortfall in 2026/27, with the deficit potentially widening further in 2027/28 on lower cane and beet plantings. India, the EU and Thailand are among the regions identified as most vulnerable to adverse weather conditions. At the same time, elevated oil prices could encourage cane diversion to ethanol production in major producers like Brazil. The country raised its mandatory ethanol blend to 32% in late July from 30% a month earlier and 27% a year earlier, potentially reducing sugar availability. Meanwhile, India is considering lowering its sugar import duty.until end-October to bolster supplies and curb record prices, adding to pressure on global supplies.
2026-08-18
Sugar Hits 52-week High
Sugar increased to 16.88 USd/Lbs, the highest since August 2025. Over the past 4 weeks, Sugar gained 14.28%, and in the last 12 months, it increased 0.04%.
2026-08-12
Sugar at Over 1-Year High
Sugar prices traded around 16.7 cents per pound, remaining close to the highest in over a year, supported by prospects of lower global supply. Brazil’s suspension of its biweekly harvest and production reports had already increased uncertainty among traders before the latest data released on August 6th showed June sugar output fell 15% year-on-year. Unseasonably heavy rains linked to El Niño disrupted cane harvesting and milling, reinforcing expectations of a global deficit in the 2026/27 season. Market participants are also monitoring Brazil’s sugar-ethanol mix, with nearly 58% of cane juice diverted to ethanol in June. The country raised its mandatory ethanol blend to 32% in late July from 30% a month earlier and 27% a year earlier, potentially reducing sugar availability. Meanwhile, India is considering restricting cane use for ethanol from October and bringing forward the crushing season to boost supply and contain record prices as festival-season demand picks up.
2026-08-10