WASHINGTON – The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) today announced the country-specific and first-come, first-served in-quota allocations of the tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) on imported raw cane sugar, refined sugar, and sugar-containing products for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026). The TRQs are allocated based on historical trade volumes.
TRQs allow countries to export specified quantities of a product to the United States at a relatively low tariff, but subject all imports of the product above a pre-determined threshold to a higher tariff. For clarity, all imports, whether within or over a U.S. TRQ, are subject to tariffs imposed by relevant executive orders issued pursuant to the President’s authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
On July 17, 2025, the Administrator of the Foreign Agricultural Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (Administrator) announced the establishment of the in-quota quantity for raw cane sugar for FY 2026. The in-quota quantity for the TRQ on raw cane sugar for FY 2026 is 1,117,195 metric tons raw value (MTRV)*, which is the minimum amount to which the United States is committed under the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement. Based on countries’ historical shipments to the United States, USTR is allocating the raw cane sugar TRQ of 1,117,195 MTRV to the following countries in the quantities specified below:
The allocations of the raw cane sugar WTO TRQ to countries that are net importers of sugar are conditioned on receipt of the appropriate verifications of origin. Certificates for quota eligibility must accompany imports from any country for which an allocation has been provided.
On July 17, 2025, the Administrator also announced the establishment of the in-quota quantity of the FY 2026 refined sugar TRQ at 22,000 MTRV. This quantity, for which the sucrose content, by weight in the dry state, must have a polarimeter reading of 99.5 degrees or more, includes the minimum amount to which the United States is committed under the WTO Uruguay Round Agreement, 22,000 MTRV, of which 20,344 MTRV is established for any sugars, syrups and molasses, and 1,656 MTRV is reserved for specialty sugar. The U.S. Trade Representative is allocating the refined sugar TRQ as follows: 10,300 MTRV to Canada, 2,954 MTRV to Mexico, and 7,090 MTRV to be administered on a first-come, first-served basis. Additionally, the U.S. Trade Representative is allocating the 1,656 MTRV of specialty sugar to be administered on a first-come, first-served basis.
This year USDA elected not to add any additional specialty sugar to the refined sugar TRQ. (Last year, USDA had added 210,000 MTRV of specialty sugar to the FY 2025 refined sugar TRQ, of which Brazil accounted for nearly 50 percent of imports.)
With respect to the in-quota quantity of 64,709 metric tons (MT) of the TRQ for imports of certain sugar-containing products maintained under Additional U.S. Note 8 to chapter 17 of the HTSUS, USTR is allocating 59,250 MT to Canada. The remainder, 5,459 MT of the in-quota quantity, is available for other countries on a first-come, first-served basis.
Raw cane sugar, refined and specialty sugar, and sugar-containing products for FY 2026 TRQs may enter the United States as of October 1, 2025.
* Conversion factor: 1 metric ton = 1.10231125 short tons.
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