Sudan pound slides past 6,000 per dollar on parallel market as import levy hiked

August 4, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s pound extended its slide against foreign currencies on Tuesday, breaching the key threshold of 6,000 per U.S. dollar on the parallel market as authorities raised the customs exchange rate, compounding inflationary pressure on the war-torn economy.

The currency has faced relentless downward pressure in recent months, exacerbated by sequential hikes in the customs dollar rate that have pushed up import costs and sparked sharp price increases for staple commodities.

Traders told Sudan Tribune the dollar was selling at 6,100 Sudanese pounds on Tuesday, weakening from around 5,900 pounds in recent sessions.

Regional currencies also advanced against the pound, with the UAE dirham quoted at 1,620 pounds, the Saudi riyal at 1,550 pounds, and the Egyptian pound at 116 pounds.

Market participants attributed the currency’s weakness to a widening imbalance between high demand for foreign exchange from commercial importers and acute hard currency illiquidity.

Sudanese authorities raised the customs dollar rate on Tuesday to 3,960 pounds from 3,740 pounds, a 5.6% upward adjustment that effective import tariffs are calculated against.

Finance Ministry officials previously indicated that early war projections had anticipated the dollar reaching 10,000 pounds by 2025 due to collapsed domestic production, though government intervention had moderated the pace of depreciation.

While fiscal authorities maintain that long-term exchange rate stabilization depends on revitalizing domestic production and high-value exports, consumer price relief remains elusive despite temporary policy interventions.