The Georgian government has extended its import tax on sugar for a further year, pushing the deadline to April 22, 2027.
A decree published on April 24, 2026 amended a previous decision that had introduced the duty for a one-year period beginning in April 2025. Under the regulation, sugar imports exceeding 100 kilograms are subject to a tariff of 40 tetri per kilogram, equivalent to 400 GEL per tonne. The tax applies to specific sugar categories, and exemptions remain in place for imports covered by preferential certificates of origin, Business Media reported.
The government has continued to justify the measure as necessary to protect Agara Sugar Company, Georgia’s only sugar producer, which is located in the Shida Kartli region and operates the country’s sole sugar processing plant. The company has faced sustained pressure from cheaper imported sugar competing in the domestic market.
This is not the first time such a measure has been put in place. A similar temporary import tax was in force between November 2023 and July 2024, when officials said the policy was intended to support domestic production and safeguard approximately 500 jobs at the Agara Sugar factory.
The latest extension signals that competitive pressure on Georgia’s domestic sugar industry has not eased, and that the government continues to view trade protection as a necessary tool to sustain the country’s only processing facility.
