NEW DELHI, Aug. 26 -- The government has relaxed a key condition on duty-free imports of 1 million tonnes of raw sugar, giving refiners up to two months from the date of filing the bill of entry to process the shipment and sell it in the domestic market. Experts said the move, notified by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) late on Monday, will boost supplies during the early months of the new sugar season and ease pressure on retail prices. "The earlier deadline was difficult to meet, particularly for shipments that arrive towards the end of October. The relaxation will ensure that the imported sugar does not get held up because of the refining process and can reach the domestic market in the coming months," a senior official at the All India Sugar Trade Association (AISTA) said. Under the original order, importers had to refine and sell the sugar by October 31. While the import arrival deadline remains October 31, refiners now get a rolling two-month window from filing their bill of entry. In simple terms, sugar arriving in late October can now be processed and sold through November and December. This is important because the new sugar season begins in October, and the imported sugar can add to availability during the early part of the 2026-27 season. "The imports will add to supplies at a time when the new season is just beginning. Along with the early start to crushing, this should help improve availability and prevent the tightness seen this season from carrying forward," the head of an international commodity trading agency said on condition of anonymity. The industry sees closing stocks for 2025-26 sugar season at about 3.2- 3.5 million tonnes - the lowest in about two decades. The Centre allowed the duty-free import of raw sugar on August 20, its first such move in nearly a decade, after a sharp rise in retail prices that reached Rs.70/kg in key metro cities. The imported sugar will not enter the market immediately because the government has permitted import of raw sugar, which has to be refined into white sugar before it can be sold to consumers....