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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