USDA Announces Sugar Tariff Rate Quotas for Fiscal Year 2013

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7, 2012 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 raw and refined sugar tariff-rate quotas (TRQs).

USDA is establishing the FY 2013 TRQ for raw cane sugar at 1,231,497 short tons raw value (STRV) (1,117,195 metric tons raw value, MTRV*), the minimum to which the United States is committed under the World Trade Organization (WTO) Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture. Pursuant to Additional U.S. Note 5 to Chapter 17 of the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) and Section 359k of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938, as amended, USDA published this decision in the Federal Register.

Raw cane sugar under this TRQ must be accompanied by a certificate of quota eligibility and may enter the United States until September 30, 2013. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) will allocate this TRQ among supplying countries and customs areas.

USDA is also establishing the FY 2013 refined sugar TRQ at 129,251 STRV (117,254 MTRV). Of this quantity, 106,825 STRV (96,910 MTRV) is reserved for the importation of specialty sugars as defined by the USTR. The total refined sugar TRQ includes the 24,251 STRV (22,000 MTRV) minimum to which the United States is committed under Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture, of which 1,825 STRV (1,656 MTRV) is reserved for specialty sugar.

Because the specialty sugar TRQ is first-come, first-served, tranches are needed to allow for orderly marketing throughout the year. The FY 2013 specialty sugar TRQ will be opened in five tranches. The first tranche, totaling 1,825 STRV (1,656 MTRV), will open October 12, 2012. All specialty sugars are eligible for entry under this tranche. The second tranche will open on October 26, 2012 and be equal to 38,850 STRV (35,245 MTRV). The remaining tranches will each be equal to 22,050 STRV (20,003 MTRV), with the third opening on January 11, 2013; the fourth, on April 11, 2013; and the fifth, on July 11, 2013. 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.

The USTR will allocate the refined TRQ, other than the amount reserved for specialty sugar, among supplying countries and customs areas.

* Conversion factor: 1 metric ton = 1.10231125 short tons.

The Federal Register notice is viewable online here: https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2012/09/10/2012-22134/determination-of-total-amounts-of-fiscal-year-2013-tariff-rate-quotas-for-raw-cane-sugar-and-certain

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