Sugar mill owners in Pakistan have requested permission to export 1 million tonnes of sugar, according to sources in the Ministry of Production.
Officials said the sugar mills have formally submitted stock data to the ministry as part of their proposal seeking export clearance.
Industry sources argue that allowing exports could generate more than $1 billion in foreign exchange, while a failure to approve exports may lead to financial losses for mills.
However, government sources have made it clear that exporters will first need to guarantee that domestic sugar prices remain stable. They warned that export approval will not be granted if there is a risk of price increases in the local market.
Officials recalled that after the approval of 700,000 tonnes of sugar exports last year, domestic prices surged sharply, with retail rates rising from around Rs120 per kilogram to nearly Rs200 per kilogram.
The government is now reviewing the proposal carefully to balance export earnings with domestic price stability, as concerns persist over potential inflationary pressure in the sugar market.