Refined sugar price per ton is the first thing every sugar buyer asks us, and usually the second and third thing too. Fair enough. Sugar is a commodity, margins are thin, and a $20 difference on a 25 ton container is real money. We’re DThai Company Limited, and we sell Thai refined white sugar, mostly ICUMSA 45, to importers, distributors, bottlers and food factories worldwide. This guide explains how the refined sugar price per ton is set, what moved it in 2026, how to read a quote, which specs you should be paying for, and how to avoid the fake offers that give sugar trading a bad name.
Table of Contents
What “Refined Sugar Price Per Ton” Actually Means
When people talk about the refined sugar price per ton, they can mean three very different numbers.
- The futures price. This is the London ICE White Sugar No. 5 contract, quoted in US dollars per metric ton. It’s the world benchmark for refined sugar. The news quotes it, and so does every trader on a phone call.
- The physical FOB price. This is what an exporter charges for actual sugar, in actual bags, loaded on a ship at an actual port. It’s the futures price plus or minus a premium that depends on origin, grade, packing and timing.
- The landed price. This is the FOB price plus freight, insurance, duty, port costs and trucking to your warehouse. It’s the only number that matters to your margin.
A good quote tells you which one you’re looking at. When we quote a refined sugar price per ton, we state the Incoterm (FOB, CFR or CIF), the port, the packing and the validity of the offer.
Refined Sugar Price Per Ton in 2026
Here’s how 2026 has played out, in plain terms. Global sugar supply has been heavy for most of the year. Brazil had a big crop, India’s production recovered, and Thailand’s 2025/26 crush came in strong. Raw sugar futures in New York traded around 14 US cents per pound for much of the first half of the year, which is low by recent standards.
London white sugar futures, the benchmark for the refined sugar price per ton, spent early 2026 at roughly $400 to $420 per ton. By late summer, worries about the 2026/27 Northern Hemisphere cane crop and a firmer energy market pushed the nearby contracts up into the $540 to $560 range, with later months trading lower.
So the honest answer to “what’s the refined sugar price per ton right now?” is that it has moved by more than $100 per ton within a single year, and it can move $10 to $20 in a week. That’s why we quote on the day and hold prices for a short, fixed period. The International Sugar Organization publishes daily reference prices if you want to follow the market yourself.
How a Refined Sugar Price Per Ton Is Built
Here’s the stack of costs inside any refined sugar price per ton you’ll be quoted, from the bottom up.
| Cost layer | What it covers | Who carries it |
|---|---|---|
| Futures benchmark | London No. 5 white sugar, USD per ton | Market |
| Origin premium or discount | Thai sugar vs the benchmark, by grade and timing | Seller |
| Packing | 50kg bags, liners, retail packs, jumbo bags | Seller |
| Inland transport and loading | Mill to port, stuffing containers | Seller (FOB) |
| Inspection | SGS or other surveyor at loading | Seller or buyer by contract |
| Ocean freight | Thailand to your port | Seller (CFR/CIF) or buyer (FOB) |
| Insurance | Cargo cover | Seller (CIF) or buyer |
| Import duty and taxes | Set by your country | Buyer |
| Port, clearing and trucking | At destination | Buyer |
When two suppliers quote a different refined sugar price per ton, the difference is almost always in one of those rows. Lay the quotes side by side on the same Incoterm and the same packing before you decide.
The Seven Things That Move the Refined Sugar Price Per Ton
1. Brazil’s crop
Brazil is the largest sugar exporter by far. Its mills choose between making sugar and making ethanol, depending on which pays better. A good Brazilian crop with high sugar mix pushes the refined sugar price per ton down. A dry year or a swing to ethanol pushes it up.
2. India’s export policy
India produces huge amounts of sugar and decides each season how much it may export. A generous export quota weighs on prices. A ban supports them.
3. Thailand’s crop
Thailand is usually the second biggest exporter, and the main supplier to Asia. Thai cane is crushed from about December to April. A strong Thai crop makes Thai sugar cheaper against the benchmark. A drought does the opposite.
4. Oil prices
Expensive crude oil makes ethanol more attractive in Brazil, which takes cane away from sugar. That’s a big reason sugar firmed in 2026 when energy prices rose.
5. The white premium
Refined sugar trades at a premium over raw sugar, roughly the cost of refining it. When refineries are busy and raw sugar is cheap, that premium widens. When refiners slow down, it narrows. The white premium explains why the refined sugar price per ton doesn’t always follow raw sugar.
6. Freight and currency
Freight from Thailand to Africa or the Middle East can add a lot to landed cost, and it changes every month. The Thai baht matters too. A stronger baht makes Thai sugar dearer in dollars.
7. Packing and quantity
A full vessel of bulk sugar is cheaper per ton than containers of 50kg bags, and 50kg bags are cheaper than 1kg retail packs. Bigger, regular orders get better prices.
Refined vs Raw Sugar Price
Buyers sometimes ask why they shouldn’t just buy raw sugar and save money. Raw sugar, such as VHP, is cheaper per ton because it hasn’t been refined. But it’s brown, it carries more ash and moisture, and it isn’t sold for direct food use in most markets. It goes to refineries, which melt it, clean it and crystallize it again.
So unless you own a refinery, raw sugar isn’t really a cheaper version of what you need. The gap between raw and refined is the white premium we mentioned above, and it pays for the refining you’d otherwise have to do yourself. For a food factory, bottler or retail packer, the refined sugar price per ton is the right one to compare.
Refined Sugar Specifications: ICUMSA 45
Most buyers who ask for a refined sugar price per ton want ICUMSA 45. The number describes color. The lower it is, the whiter the sugar. Here’s the specification we ship.
| Parameter | ICUMSA 45 refined white sugar |
|---|---|
| Color (ICUMSA) | 45 IU max |
| Polarization | 99.8° min |
| Moisture | 0.04% max |
| Ash (conductivity) | 0.04% max |
| Sulphur dioxide | 20 mg/kg max |
| Solubility | 100%, dry and free flowing |
| Granulation | Fine to medium, uniform |
| Appearance | Sparkling white crystal |
| Radiation | Within normal limits |
| Origin | Thailand, cane sugar |
| Shelf life | 24 months in dry storage |
The method behind these numbers comes from the International Commission for Uniform Methods of Sugar Analysis. We also supply ICUMSA 100 to 150 plantation white for buyers who don’t need the whitest grade and want a lower refined sugar price per ton. Our ICUMSA sugar grades guide explains every band, and our post on VHP sugar vs ICUMSA 45 covers raw versus refined.
The Refined Sugar We Sell
- ICUMSA 45 sugar, refined white, the main grade for food and beverage use
- White granulated sugar, ICUMSA 45 to 100, for retail packing and bakeries
- ICUMSA 100 to 150, a slightly cheaper white for industrial users
- Powdered sugar, for confectionery and bakery
- Brown sugar, light and dark, for buyers who want a second line
Packing options
- 50kg PP woven bags with PE inner liner, the export standard
- 25kg bags for smaller distributors and bakeries
- 1kg and 2kg retail packs, under your brand or ours
- 1,000kg jumbo bags for factories with bulk handling
- Bulk vessel loads for large contracts
A 20ft container carries about 25 to 27 metric tons of sugar in 50kg bags, so container math is simple. For large tonnages we quote bulk or break-bulk vessels separately.
Refined Sugar Price Per Ton by Packing and Incoterm
Prices change daily, so we won’t print a fixed figure. But the shape of the price ladder stays the same, and it helps you read any quote.
| Option | How it compares |
|---|---|
| ICUMSA 45, 50kg bags, FOB Thailand | Base price, close to the London benchmark plus or minus the Thai premium |
| ICUMSA 100 to 150, 50kg bags, FOB | Lower than ICUMSA 45 |
| ICUMSA 45, 1,000kg jumbo bags, FOB | Slightly lower than 50kg bags |
| ICUMSA 45, 1kg retail packs, FOB | Higher, because of packing and labor |
| Any grade, CFR or CIF | FOB plus freight (and insurance for CIF) |
| Bulk vessel, 12,500 tons and above | Lowest refined sugar price per ton, but only for big buyers with port silos |
When you ask us for a refined sugar price per ton, tell us your grade, packing, quantity per month and destination port. We’ll send FOB and CFR side by side so you can compare it with your own freight.
Refined Sugar Price Per Ton by Destination
Freight is the biggest swing factor after the benchmark itself. The same FOB price turns into a very different landed refined sugar price per ton depending on where the container goes.
Southeast Asia and China
Short sailings from Laem Chabang mean low freight, often only a small slice of the delivered price. Buyers in Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and southern China feel the futures price almost directly.
South Asia
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are close and import a lot of refined sugar. Freight is moderate. Duties vary a lot, and both countries change them often, so check before you buy.
Middle East
The Gulf, Iraq, Jordan and Yemen are big refined sugar markets. Transit from Thailand is about two to three weeks. Freight is reasonable, but demand spikes before Ramadan and so do container rates.
East Africa
Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia, Djibouti and Sudan buy Thai sugar regularly. Freight is higher than to the Gulf, and import rules in East Africa can change with the local crop.
West Africa
West African ports are a longer, more expensive haul, often with a transhipment. Freight can add a noticeable amount per ton on top of FOB, so we always quote CFR there so the buyer sees the real figure.
Europe and the Americas
Thai refined sugar does reach Europe and the Americas, mostly for specific contracts, but long freight and import quotas make it less common. Ask us and we’ll tell you honestly whether it works for your port.
The Thai Sugar Season and When to Buy
Thai mills crush cane from roughly December to April. Fresh sugar is plentiful from late in the crush through the middle of the year, and Thai premiums are often softest then. Later in the year, stocks shrink and premiums can firm up before the new crop arrives.
That doesn’t mean you should only buy in March. Demand peaks in your own market matter just as much. Ramadan, the summer soft-drink season and the Christmas baking season all pull sugar off the market at the same time. Many of our customers book a fixed volume through the year so they aren’t caught by a seasonal jump in the refined sugar price per ton.
Storage After Arrival
Refined sugar keeps for two years or more if you store it well, and badly for weeks if you don’t. Moisture is the enemy. Damp sugar cakes into lumps, picks up color and can grow yeasts.
- Store bags on pallets, away from walls and off bare concrete.
- Keep relative humidity below about 60% and avoid big temperature swings, which cause condensation inside the bags.
- Don’t stack 50kg bags too high, or the bottom layer will cake.
- Keep sugar away from strong smells. It absorbs odors easily.
- Rotate stock first in, first out.
Caked or discolored sugar sells at a discount, which quietly raises the real refined sugar price per ton you paid for the good bags.
How to Read a Refined Sugar Price Per Ton Quote
A serious offer will show all of the following. If any are missing, ask.
- Product and grade, with the full specification attached.
- Quantity per shipment and total contract quantity.
- Price per metric ton and the currency.
- Incoterm and the named port.
- Packing and marking.
- Shipment period.
- Payment terms.
- Inspection company and who pays for it.
- Validity of the offer, often 24 to 72 hours.
Watch the validity. A refined sugar price per ton held for a month in a market that moves $10 a week is either padded or not real.
Spotting Fake Sugar Offers
The sugar trade has a long history of scams, especially around ICUMSA 45. You’ve probably seen the emails: Brazilian ICUMSA 45, 50,000 tons a month for twelve months, priced far below market, payment by SBLC or a big deposit, and a long chain of “mandates” and “facilitators.” These offers almost never come from real sugar.
Signs that a refined sugar price per ton offer is fake:
- The price is well below the London benchmark. No real mill sells refined sugar under the futures price for long.
- They want an ICPO, LOI and proof of funds before they’ll tell you who they are.
- They ask for a large non-refundable deposit or a “contract fee.”
- They can’t name the mill or arrange a sample and an SGS inspection before payment.
- The volumes are huge and the company has no history you can check.
A real supplier gives you a company you can verify, an office you can call, a sample you can test, and inspection at loading. We’re happy to do all four. Learn more about us on our about us page.
Documents With Every Shipment
- Commercial invoice and packing list
- Bill of lading
- Certificate of origin
- Certificate of analysis from the mill
- SGS (or other) certificate of quality, quantity and packing
- Phytosanitary or health certificate where needed
- Fumigation certificate where needed
- Halal certificate on request
Our bulk sugar import documentation checklist lists exactly what each document does and which countries ask for what. For tariff codes, see our guide to the HS code for sugar.
Payment Terms
For first orders we prefer a confirmed irrevocable letter of credit at sight, or a bank transfer deposit with the balance against a copy of the bill of lading. Repeat buyers can move to cash against documents. We never ask for fees before a contract, and you shouldn’t pay them to anyone.
Getting a Better Refined Sugar Price Per Ton
You can’t change the market, but you can change how you buy. These habits lower the refined sugar price per ton our customers actually pay.
- Buy on a contract. A fixed monthly volume over six or twelve months gets a better premium than one-off spot orders.
- Price against the futures. Some customers fix their price against London No. 5 on a day they choose, which lets them buy when the market dips.
- Be flexible on grade. If your product doesn’t need ICUMSA 45, ICUMSA 100 to 150 costs less.
- Be flexible on packing. Jumbo bags cut packing cost if you can handle them.
- Order ahead of peak season. Ramadan, Christmas and the summer drinks season all tighten supply.
- Combine products. Fill one container with sugar and rice or sunflower oil to save on freight to smaller ports.
More on fixed-volume deals is on our supply contracts page.
Who Buys Refined Sugar From Us
- Importers and wholesalers in the Middle East, Africa and Asia buying 50kg bags for resale
- Beverage plants that need a low-color, low-ash sugar for clear drinks
- Bakeries, biscuit and confectionery makers
- Dairy and ice cream producers
- Retail packers who repack into 1kg and 2kg bags under their own brand
- Pharmaceutical syrup makers, with tighter specs on request
Each of these buyers looks at the refined sugar price per ton in a different way. A beverage plant pays for low color and ash. A retail packer cares about crystal size and how the sugar looks in a clear bag. Tell us the use and we’ll quote the grade that fits it rather than the most expensive one.
Why Thai Refined Sugar
Thailand sits close to the big Asian and Middle Eastern markets, which keeps freight lower than sugar coming from Brazil. Thai mills are modern, Thai sugar is consistent from lot to lot, and the export paperwork is accepted everywhere. For more on the Thai side, read our Thai sugar supplier guide.
How to Order
- Send your grade, packing, quantity, destination port and preferred Incoterm.
- We reply with a refined sugar price per ton, the spec sheet and the shipment period.
- We send a sample if you need one.
- We sign the contract and you open the LC or pay the deposit.
- We pack, inspect, load and send your documents.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the refined sugar price per ton today?
It changes every trading day with the London No. 5 market. Send us your grade, packing and port and we’ll quote today’s price.
Why does my refined sugar price per ton differ from the London futures price?
Because physical sugar carries an origin premium or discount, plus packing, inspection, freight and insurance. Futures are the starting point, not the final price.
Is ICUMSA 45 the same as refined sugar?
ICUMSA 45 is the most common grade of refined white sugar. Refined sugar can also be ICUMSA 60 or 100 to 150, which costs a little less.
What’s the minimum order?
One 20ft container, about 25 metric tons in 50kg bags.
How long is your price valid?
Usually 24 to 72 hours, because the market moves daily.
Do you sell sugar on CIF terms?
Yes. We quote FOB, CFR and CIF to most ports worldwide.
How can I tell if a sugar offer is real?
Check the company, ask for a sample and inspection, refuse up-front fees, and be suspicious of any refined sugar price per ton far below the London benchmark.
The refined sugar price per ton you pay comes down to timing, grade, packing and the supplier you pick. We can’t control the first one, but we can help with the rest. Contact us with your grade, packing and port, and we’ll send today’s price and a sample. You can also see our full range on the sugar for sale page.