Cristal Union revenue falls 14% as European sugar prices plunge

Suedzucker AG

14/04/2026 14:00

PARIS, April 14 (Reuters) - French sugar and ethanol maker Cristal Union reported a 14% fall in annual revenue on Tuesday and warned that higher energy costs and low-duty imports were putting further strain on European producers already squeezed by rock-bottom prices.

Cristal Union's revenue fell to 2.28 billion euros ($2.57 billion) in the year to January 31. A 462 million euro impairment charge resulted in a net loss of 442 million euros, compared with a 117 million euro net profit the previous year.

European sugar groups, including Germany's Suedzucker SZUG.DE and France's Tereos, have also booked impairments owing to plunging sugar prices.

"This impairment, which is primarily attributable to the impact of inflation on operating margins in the sector, has no effect on the group’s cash position or its future investment capacity," the cooperative group said.

European sugar hit a more than three-year low of 516 euros a metric ton in January, down 8% year on year and 40% over two years, the latest official EU data shows.

This prompted Cristal Union to favour alcohol and ethanol output during the past year and to target sugar sales to Mediterranean markets in deficit.

The group said it believed that sugar prices had bottomed out and expected them to rebound in the coming months owing to further reductions in beet acreage for the coming 2026/27 crop year.

 (Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide
Editing by David Goodman)

 ((Sybille.deLaHamaide@thomsonreuters.com; +336 8774 4148;))