KARACHI, Feb 16: Pakistani importers booked around 315,000 tons of sugar after a duty cut earlier this month and orders for another 100,000 tons are expected in the coming days, an official said on Wednesday.

Importers booked around 200,000 tons of raw and 115,000 tons of refined sugar during the last two weeks, said a finance ministry official who asked not to be named. "There is scope for another 100,000 to 150,000 tons worth of import orders, but traders have slowed down a bit to assess the market demand," he said.

Pakistan scrapped the 25 per cent duty on sugar imports in an attempt to check soaring domestic prices. On Wednesday, domestic sugar prices were hovering at Rs27-28 per kg and traders said they expected the market to shed at least two to three rupees by the end of this month on the arrival of imported sugar.

Prices have already slipped from a four-year high of Rs30 in the first week of February after the government's announcement of duty-free imports. On Tuesday, the government also eliminated a six-per cent withholding tax on imported sugar to cover the domestic shortfall.

Pakistan's sugar output is expected to slip to 3.1-3.2 million tons in the production year that began in November, from four million tons the previous year. Annual sugar consumption is 3.6 million tons. The cane crop has fallen to 47.3 million tons this year due to low rainfall and the loss of sugar-growing land to cotton. Last year Pakistan produced 52 million tons of cane. -Reuters