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USTR Announces FY 2008 Tariff-Rate Quota Allocations for Raw Cane Sugar

August 16, 2007

 



 

USTR Announces FY 2008 Tariff-Rate Quota Allocations for
Raw Cane Sugar, Refined and Specialty Sugar and Sugar-Containing
Products

Washington, DC -- The Office of the United States Trade
Representative (USTR) today announced the country-specific in-quota allocations
under the tariff-rate quotas on imported raw cane sugar, refined and specialty
sugar and sugar-containing products for FY 2008 (Oct. 1, 2007 through Sept. 30,
2008).  Tariff-rate quotas allow countries to export specified quantities
of a product to the United
States at a relatively low tariff, but subjects
all imports of the product above a pre-determined threshold to a higher
tariff.

On August 10, 2007, the Secretary of Agriculture announced
sugar program provisions for FY 2008.  The in-quota quantity for the
tariff-rate quota (TRQ) on raw cane sugar for FY 2008 is 1,117,195 metric tons*
raw value, which is the minimal amount to which the United States is committed
under the World Trade Organization (WTO) Uruguay Round Agreements.  
USTR is allocating the raw cane sugar TRQ of 1,117,195 metric tons raw value to
the following
countries:                    

Country     
FY 2008 Raw Cane Sugar Allocations (metric tons raw value)

Argentina 
                    
45,281

Australia                      
87,402

Barbados                      
7,371

Belize                          
11,583

Bolivia                         
8,424

Brazil                          
152,691

Colombia                      
25,273

Congo                          
7,258

Costa
Rica                    
15,796

Cote
d’Ivoire                 
7,258

Dominican
Republic         
185,335

Ecuador                        
11,583

El
Salvador                    
27,379

Fiji                               
9,477

Gabon                          
7,258

Guatemala                     
50,546

Guyana                         
12,636

Haiti                             
7,258

Honduras                      
10,530

India                            
8,424

Jamaica                        
11,583

Madagascar                  
7,258

Malawi                          
10,530

Mauritius                      
12,636

Mexico                          7,258

Mozambique                   
13,690

Nicaragua                      
22,114

Panama                         
30,538

Papua
New
Guinea          
7,258

Paraguay                      
7,258

Peru                             
43,175

Philippines                     
142,160

South
Africa                  
24,220

St. Kitts & Nevis             
7,258

Swaziland                      16,849

Taiwan                         
12,636

Thailand                        
14,743

Trinidad &
Tobago           
7,371

Uruguay                        
7,258

Zimbabwe                      
12,636

These allocations are based on the countries’ historical
shipments 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, and certificates for
quota eligibility must accompany imports from any country to which an allocation
is provided.

On August 10, 2007, the Secretary of Agriculture
established the FY 2008 refined sugar tariff-rate quota at 85,503 metric tons
raw value for which the sucrose content, by weight in the dry state, must have a
polarimeter reading of 99.5 degrees or more.  This amount includes the
minimum level to which the United States is committed under the
WTO Uruguay Round Agreement (22,000 metric tons raw value, of which 1,656 metric
tons raw value is specialty sugar) and an additional 63,503 metric tons raw
value of specialty sugars.  USTR is allocating a total of 10,300 metric
tons raw value of refined sugar to Canada, 2,954 metric tons raw value of refined
sugar to Mexico, and 7,090 metric tons raw
value of refined sugar to be administered on a first-come, first-served
basis.  The 65,159 metric tons raw value specialty sugar TRQ, which
includes the additional 63,503 metric tons raw value of specialty sugar and the
specialty sugar allocation of 1,656 metric tons raw value included in the 22,000
metric tons raw value WTO minimum, will be administered on a first-come,
first-served basis in five tranches.  The first tranche of 1,656 metric
tons raw value will open on October 24, 2007.  All types of specialty
sugars are eligible for entry under this tranche.  The second tranche of
22,544 metric tons raw value will open on November 15, 2007.  The third,
fourth, and fifth tranches of 13,653 metric tons raw value each will open on
January 30, 2008; May 14, 2008; and August 27, 2008, respectively.  The
second, third, fourth, and fifth tranches will be reserved for organic sugar and
other specialty sugars not currently produced commercially in the
United
States or reasonably available from domestic
sources. 

With respect to the tariff-rate quota of 64,709 metric
tons for certain sugar-containing products maintained under Additional U.S. Note
8 to Chapter 17 to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, USTR is allocating 59,250 metric
tons to Canada.  The remainder 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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