WASHINGTON - The Office of the United States Trade Representative today announced the country-by-country allocations of the raw cane sugar, refined sugar, and sugar-containing products tariff-rate quotas for Fiscal Year (FY) 2003. The allocation for Mexico provided for under the North American Free Trade Agreement will be made at a later date. A tariff-rate quota is an import policy that allows a specified quantity of imports of a product at a relatively low tariff, and subjects all other imports of that product to a higher tariff.

A tariff-rate quota quantity for raw cane sugar of 1,117,195 metric tons, the minimum level to which the United States is committed under the Uruguay Round Agreement, is being allocated to the following countries:

These allocations are based on the countries' historical trade to the United States. The allocations of the raw cane sugar tariff-rate quota to countries that are net importers of sugar are conditioned on receipt of the appropriate verifications of origin.

This allocation includes the following minimum-quota countries: Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Gabon, Haiti, Madagascar, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, St. Kitts & Nevis, and Uruguay.

The in-quota quantity of the tariff-rate quota for refined sugar for FY 2003 has been established by the Secretary of Agriculture at 37,000 metric tons, raw value (40,786 short tons), of which the Secretary has reserved 16,656 metric tons (18,360 short tons) for specialty sugars. Of the quantity not reserved for specialty sugar, a total of 10,300 metric tons (11,354 short tons) is allocated to Canada and 2,954 metric tons (3,256 short tons) is allocated to Mexico. The remaining 7,090 metric tons (7,815 short tons) of the in-quota quantity may be supplied by any country, subject to any other provisions of the law, on a first-come, first-served basis. The 16,656 metric tons reserved for specialty sugars may also be supplied by any country, subject to any other provisions of the law, on a first-come, first-served basis.

With respect to the tariff-rate quota for certain sugar-containing products maintained under Additional U.S. Note 8 to chapter 17 to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, 59,250 metric tons (65,312 short tons) is being allocated to Canada. The remainder of the sugar-containing products tariff-rate quota is available for other countries on a first-come, first-served basis.

Conversion factor: 1 metric ton = 1.10231125 short tons.

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