Brazil expects the Chinese government to not extend certain sugar import tariffs, said a spokesman for the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture.

At the same time, the Minister of Agriculture Orlando Leyte Ribeiro, in turn, said that he did not know how long the current tariffs would be in effect, and that further questions should be directed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“The issue of sugar is being discussed by the Brazilian and Chinese delegations in Geneva, and the conversation is going well. We expect that tariffs will not be renewed, ”said the Brazilian Minister of Agriculture, referring to the ongoing discussions at the World Trade Organization.

China introduced an additional 45 percent tariff on sugar imports in excess of the agreed quota of 1.94 million tons in 2017 to protect domestic farmers from lowering world sugar prices.

This exceeded the existing zero rate by 50 percent, as a result of which the general tariff reached 95 percent and significantly reduced the export of Brazilian sugar to China.

In May last year, this total indicator was not reduced by a quota to 90 percent, and this month it was still to be reduced to 85 percent.