Soft commodities · LS

Sugar UK No 5 price

Sugar UK No 5 currently trades at US$442.70 per tonne (≈ €376.50 · £329.94) — close to the 12-month high. Over the past 12 months it has lost 8.19%, with the annual range running from US$394.30 to US$490.80. 24-hour movement is minimal (±0.00%).

US$442.70 / tonne
≈ €376.50 ≈ £329.94 Unchanged 24h 50% within the 52-week range
FX Editorial Team · Data updated: · Editorially verified
Sugar UK No 5 (LS) price today US$442.70 / tonne, ↑ +0.00% (24h)

Sugar UK No 5 chart

Interactive chart and 30-day overview

7 days
▲ +0.77%
+US$3.40
30 days
▲ +4.34%
+US$18.40
1 year
▼ −8.19%
−US$39.50
52-week range
US$394.30 50% US$490.80
Sugar UK No 5 (LS) 30-day price chart — USD, EUR, GBP

The Sugar UK No 5 chart shows how the sugar uk no 5 price has moved over time. The interactive view lets you switch the timeframe (from 7 days up to MAX), the currency (USD / EUR / GBP) and overlay moving averages. Click any two points to measure the percentage change between those dates.

How is sugar uk no 5 priced?

Sugar UK No 5 is priced per metric tonne (1 t = 1,000 kg) — the standard unit for industrial and bulk commodities on the London Metal Exchange (LME), CME and major European exchanges. Wholesale shipments move in containers or bulk vessels, typically in 25-tonne or 100-tonne lots.

At US$442.70 per tonne, one kilogram is worth US$0.4427. End-user pricing for processed goods includes refining margins, transport and tariffs on top of the wholesale benchmark.

What drives the price of white sugar (Sugar No. 5)?

The refining margin — the gap between London Sugar No. 5, the white refined sugar contract, and New York Sugar No. 11, the raw cane sugar contract, known in the market as the white-raw spread — is the most direct pricing factor in the Sugar No. 5 market. The spread reflects the per-tonne margin of large refiners such as Tate & Lyle, ED&F Man, Südzucker and Cosan. When the spread is narrow, refining is loss-making, refiners draw down inventories and cut capacity utilisation, which directly tightens white sugar supply. When the spread is wide, refiners compete for raw sugar, which can also push up the New York Sugar No. 11 price. Czarnikow publishes a monthly estimate of global refining margins.

Indian and Thai export policy is the second major factor. India is the world’s second-largest sugar producer and has about 6 million tonnes of annual white sugar export capacity. The government, however, imposes export licences or quotas depending on monsoon rainfall and domestic stock levels. The announcement of tighter curbs can move the London contract within minutes. Thailand produces about 10 million tonnes of sugar a year, roughly 10% of global exports, so weather during the cane harvest and droughts have a direct effect on global refined sugar supply. The USDA Foreign Agricultural Service publishes monthly crop and export estimates.

The EU sugar reform is a longer-term structural factor. The EU abolished sugar beet production quotas and has since periodically been a net exporter of beet sugar, with annual output of about 17 million tonnes, mainly from France, Germany and Poland. EU beet sugar is closely aligned with the London Sugar No. 5 benchmark, which European refiners such as Südzucker, Tereos and Cristal Union use as a pricing reference. Global trade in refined white sugar is about 30 million tonnes a year. Brazil’s roughly 30 million tonnes of raw sugar exports and the regional refining role of Mauritius, Algeria and Indonesia shape the flow map. Higher oil prices can tighten raw sugar availability through Brazil’s sugar-ethanol production switch, and the white sugar price tends to reflect that.

How to invest in white sugar

Investors can access the white sugar market without taking physical delivery through exchange-traded futures, notably ICE Futures Europe White Sugar No. 5, SUGAR CFD products, where most brokers track the ICE US Sugar No. 11 raw sugar contract but some platforms also offer No. 5 white sugar, the CANE (Teucrium Sugar Fund) ETF, and shares of large companies in the sugar value chain. These include Tate & Lyle (TATE.L), the UK industrial sweeteners group, Südzucker (SZU.DE), Europe’s largest beet sugar refiner, and Cosan (CSAN3.SA), the large integrated Brazilian sugar and ethanol producer. Futures contracts and SUGAR CFDs offer the closest commodity exposure. Shares add company-specific business-model risk. Two EU-regulated brokers with English-language platforms where sugar CFDs and sugar-related shares are available:

30-day price history

Chart and daily closing prices

Sugar UK No 5 (LS) 30-day price chart — USD, EUR, GBP

Daily close

30 trading days

Date Price (USD) Price (EUR) Price (GBP) Daily change
23 May 2026 US$442.70 €376.50 £329.94 ▲ +0.25%
22 May 2026 US$441.60 €375.57 £329.12 ▼ −0.90%
21 May 2026 US$445.60 €378.97 £332.11 ▲ +0.88%
20 May 2026 US$441.70 €375.65 £329.20 ▼ −0.52%
19 May 2026 US$444.00 €377.61 £330.91 ▲ +1.98%
18 May 2026 US$435.40 €370.29 £324.50 ▼ −0.89%
16 May 2026 US$439.30 €373.61 £327.41 ▲ +0.30%
15 May 2026 US$438.00 €372.51 £326.44 ▼ −1.28%
14 May 2026 US$443.70 €377.35 £330.69 ▼ −2.18%
13 May 2026 US$453.60 €385.77 £338.07 ▲ +2.89%
12 May 2026 US$440.85 €374.93 £328.57 ▲ +0.49%
11 May 2026 US$438.70 €373.10 £326.96 ▲ +1.48%
10 May 2026 US$432.30 €367.66 £322.19 ▼ −1.53%
6 May 2026 US$439.00 €373.36 £327.19 ▼ −2.83%
5 May 2026 US$451.80 €384.24 £336.73 ▲ +0.83%
2 May 2026 US$448.10 €381.10 £333.97 ▲ +0.36%
1 May 2026 US$446.50 €379.73 £332.78 ▲ +1.41%
30 Apr 2026 US$440.30 €374.46 £328.16 ▲ +1.50%
29 Apr 2026 US$433.80 €368.93 £323.31 ▲ +1.38%
28 Apr 2026 US$427.90 €363.92 £318.91 ▼ −0.40%
27 Apr 2026 US$429.60 €365.36 £320.18 ▼ −1.29%
25 Apr 2026 US$435.20 €370.12 £324.35 ▲ +2.57%
22 Apr 2026 US$424.30 €360.85 £316.23 ▲ +1.10%
21 Apr 2026 US$419.70 €356.94 £312.80 ▲ +2.22%
20 Apr 2026 US$410.60 €349.20 £306.02 —

White sugar: frequently asked questions

What is White Sugar No. 5, and why is it quoted per tonne? +
White Sugar No. 5 is the refined sugar futures contract traded on London’s ICE Futures Europe. It is priced in US dollars per tonne for FOB delivery at regional ports. “No. 5” is the contract’s standard number in the ICE product list, and it serves as the global benchmark for refined white sugar suitable for direct consumption. The tonne-based quote follows the metric system, which is standard in European and African trade. By contrast, the New York Sugar No. 11 raw cane sugar contract is quoted in US cents per pound, reflecting the Anglo-American market convention.
What is the difference between Sugar No. 5 and Sugar No. 11? +
Sugar No. 11 is the world raw cane sugar benchmark on ICE Futures US in New York, traded under the SB ticker in US cents per pound for FOB port delivery. It is the pricing basis for more than 90% of global cane sugar trade. Sugar No. 5, by contrast, is the refined white sugar contract on ICE Europe in London, quoted in dollars per tonne, also for FOB delivery. The gap between the two contracts is the white-raw spread, or white sugar premium. It reflects refining costs, refiner margins and regional demand for white sugar. Large refiners such as Tate & Lyle, ED&F Man and Südzucker often buy No. 11 and sell No. 5 at the same time for hedging.
How much does 1 kg of white sugar cost based on the Sugar No. 5 quote? +
For example, a quote of USD 570 per tonne implies a world market price of about 0.57 USD per kg of white sugar, calculated as 570 ÷ 1000. One imperial pound, or 0.4536 kg, costs about 0.26 USD. This is the seaborne export price for refined bulk sugar at the FOB regional port level. Retail sugar in European or UK shops costs more because packaging, logistics, VAT or sales tax, retailer margins and exchange rates are added. European retail sugar is usually closer to the London Sugar No. 5 benchmark than to New York Sugar No. 11, because sugar sold in Europe is typically refined beet sugar.
What is the white-raw spread, and why does it matter? +
The white-raw spread, or white sugar premium, is the difference between London Sugar No. 5, the dollar-per-tonne white sugar contract, and New York Sugar No. 11, the raw sugar contract quoted in cents per pound, converted into the same unit, usually USD per tonne. The spread reflects the per-tonne margin of global refiners and is one of the market’s main indicators. With a narrow spread, refining is loss-making, refiners draw down inventories and cut capacity utilisation, which directly tightens white sugar supply. With a wide spread, refiners run plants at high capacity and compete for raw sugar, which can also lift the No. 11 price. Monthly reports from Czarnikow are a common reference point for market participants.
Which countries are the largest exporters of white sugar? +
Global trade in refined white sugar is about 30 million tonnes a year. Major exporters include India, with ~6 Mt of white sugar exports when the government allows shipments, Thailand, with a large white sugar share from ~10 Mt of total sugar production, and the EU, which has periodically been a net exporter since quota abolition, with ~17 Mt of beet sugar output mainly from France, Germany and Poland. Regional refiners also matter: Brazília has significant white sugar refining capacity alongside roughly 30 Mt of raw cane sugar exports, while Mauritius, Algeria, Egypt and Indonesia typically refine Brazilian or Thai raw cane sugar into white sugar for regional markets. The ISO and USDA FAS publish detailed export and crop statistics.
How did quota abolition affect the EU sugar market? +
The EU abolished sugar beet production quotas as part of its sugar market reform. These quotas had regulated member-state output for decades. Since the reform, the EU has periodically been a net exporter of beet sugar, with annual output stabilising around ~17 Mt, mainly from France, Germany and Poland. The reform reshaped the European sugar industry. Less efficient beet sugar plants closed, while large European refiners such as Südzucker, Tereos, Cristal Union and Nordzucker consolidated. The London Sugar No. 5 contract is the main pricing reference for EU beet sugar, and internal market prices respond to the dollar benchmark through the EUR-per-tonne conversion.
Does a SUGAR CFD track the No. 5 or No. 11 contract at brokers? +
Most online brokers, including XTB, eToro, Plus500 and IG, link their SUGAR CFD product by default to the New York Sugar No. 11 raw cane sugar contract. It is the more liquid market and is the pricing basis for more than 90% of global cane sugar trade. A White Sugar No. 5 CFD is also available on some platforms, often under a separate “WHITESUGAR” or “LSU” ticker, but liquidity is usually thinner and spreads wider. Product catalogues differ by broker and jurisdiction: exposure specifically to refined white sugar means looking for the No. 5 contract, not the generic SUGAR or SB ticker.
How are sugar CFDs or sugar-sector shares taxed? +
Tax treatment varies by jurisdiction; consult a local tax adviser.

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Data sources: ICE Futures Europe — White Sugar No. 5 Futures · International Sugar Organization (ISO) — Statistics · Czarnikow — Sugar Market Analysis · USDA Foreign Agricultural Service — Sugar: World Markets and Trade