ICUMSA 45 is refined white sugar with a maximum colour of 45 ICUMSA units, minimum polarisation of 99.80 degrees, and maximum moisture and ash of 0.04 percent each. It is also the single most heavily impersonated commodity in international trade, so origin verification and refinery-level due diligence matter more than the price on the offer.
Few commodities attract as much fraudulent paper as ICUMSA 45. Unsolicited offers circulate constantly with impressive-looking soft offers, procedures demanding an irrevocable corporate purchase order before any verification, and refinery allocations that dissolve under a single phone call. Genuine refined sugar trade exists and is substantial. It simply does not look like the offers that arrive by email.
For food manufacturers, beverage producers, and bulk distributors buying refined sugar internationally, the procurement discipline is split evenly between specification control and counterparty verification.
What ICUMSA 45 Actually Specifies
ICUMSA is the International Commission for Uniform Methods of Sugar Analysis, and the ICUMSA number expresses sugar colour on a scale where a lower figure indicates a whiter, more refined product.
The full specification for a genuine ICUMSA 45 contract covers considerably more than colour:
- Colour: Maximum 45 ICUMSA units, the defining parameter of refined white sugar
- Polarisation: Minimum 99.80 degrees Z, expressing sucrose purity
- Moisture: Maximum 0.04 percent, controlling caking and microbiological risk in storage
- Ash content: Maximum 0.04 percent, reflecting residual mineral content
- Sulphur dioxide: Typically maximum 20 mg/kg, a food-safety limit varying by destination regulation
- Granulation: Stated as a grain size range, because a technically compliant sugar of the wrong grain size may still be unusable in the buyer's process
Related grades sit on the same scale: ICUMSA 100 to 150 covers mill white sugar, and ICUMSA 600 to 1200 covers raw sugar destined for further refining.
Origin and Refinery Reality
Refined sugar at ICUMSA 45 comes from a finite and identifiable set of refineries, which means any genuine offer can be traced to a named production facility with a verifiable address and export history.
- Brazil: The dominant export origin, shipping principally through Santos, with refined and crystal grades widely traded
- Thailand: A major Asian export origin with established refining capacity
- India: Substantial production with export volumes subject to periodic government policy restriction
- Central America and the EU: Smaller but established refined export flows
The verification test is simple and rarely survived by fraudulent offers: name the refinery, confirm it exists, confirm it produces the grade offered, and confirm the seller's relationship with it. An offer that resists this is not a commercial negotiation.
Screening Out Fraudulent Offers
The structural signature of sugar trade fraud is a procedure that demands buyer commitment and financial instruments before any verifiable evidence of product or title is provided.
Reliable warning indicators:
- Demands for an ICPO or LOI before disclosure of the refinery, the port, or any verifiable specific
- Prices materially below the published market for the grade and origin — refined sugar tracks the London No. 5 white sugar futures contract, and large unexplained discounts are not commercial generosity
- Long intermediary chains in which no party will identify the party above them
- Pressure toward non-recoverable payment structures or unusual instrument formats in place of a confirmed documentary credit
- Documents supplied only as images, without issuer references that can be checked independently against the issuing body
Our guides to direct origin sourcing versus intermediary trading and cross-border compliance and KYC set out the counterparty verification framework in full.
Payment and Inspection Structure
Legitimate refined sugar trade settles predominantly through confirmed irrevocable documentary credits against inspection certificates issued at load port by an independent surveyor.
- Documentary credit: Confirmed by a bank acceptable to the seller, with document requirements that are actually achievable — over-specified credits fail on discrepancy rather than on substance
- Independent inspection: SGS, Bureau Veritas, or Intertek appointed to certify quality, quantity, and packing at load port
- Packing specification: Commonly 50 kg polypropylene bags or 1,000 kg jumbo bags, with bag specification and palletisation stated explicitly
- Phytosanitary and health certification: As required by the destination regulator, obtained by the seller and listed in the credit
Our guide to structured trade finance and letters of credit covers instrument selection in detail.
ICUMSA Grade Reference
| Grade | Colour (ICUMSA units) | Polarisation | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICUMSA 45 | 45 max | 99.80 min | Direct food and beverage use |
| ICUMSA 100 to 150 | 100 to 150 | 99.50 min | Mill white, industrial food use |
| ICUMSA 600 to 1200 | 600 to 1200 | 98.00 to 99.00 | Raw sugar for further refining |
| VHP raw | Above 1200 | 99.00 approx. | Refinery feedstock |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does ICUMSA 45 mean?
ICUMSA 45 refers to refined white sugar with a maximum colour value of 45 units on the International Commission for Uniform Methods of Sugar Analysis scale. A lower ICUMSA number indicates a whiter, more refined sugar. The full specification also covers polarisation, moisture, ash, sulphur dioxide, and granulation.
Why is ICUMSA 45 associated with trade fraud?
The grade is well known, widely searched, and easy to describe convincingly on paper, which makes it attractive to parties offering product they do not control. The characteristic pattern is a demand for buyer commitment or financial instruments before any verifiable refinery, port, or title evidence is provided.
How do I verify a sugar offer is genuine?
Require the named refinery and confirm it independently, require independent load-port inspection by a recognised surveyor, settle through a confirmed documentary credit rather than an unusual instrument, and compare the offered price against the London No. 5 white sugar futures market. Genuine sellers accommodate all four.
What is the difference between ICUMSA 45 and raw sugar?
ICUMSA 45 is fully refined and suitable for direct food and beverage use. Raw sugar, typically ICUMSA 600 to 1200 or higher, retains molasses colour and requires refining before food use. The two trade at different prices against different benchmarks.
What minimum sugar volumes does XRT handle?
Containerised shipments start from approximately 250 MT in 50 kg or jumbo bags, with bulk vessel parcels from 12,500 MT. Packing, granulation, and destination certification requirements are confirmed before the contract is issued.
Ready to source refined sugar from a verified refinery? Contact XRT's agricultural desk at agro [at] xrtgroup.com or submit a requirement through our procurement portal.