USDA Announces Sugar TRQs for Fiscal Year 2018

Contact: Souleymane Diaby, (202) 720-2916

WASHINGTON, June 30, 2017 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the fiscal year 2018 tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) for raw cane and refined sugars.

USDA is establishing the FY 2018 TRQ for raw cane sugar at 1,231,497 short tons raw value (STRV) (1,117,195 MTRV*), the minimum to which the United States is committed under the World Trade Organization Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture. Pursuant to Additional U.S. Note 5 to Chapter 17 of the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule 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 Sept. 30, 2018. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) will allocate this TRQ among supplying countries and customs areas.

USDA is establishing the FY 2018 refined sugar TRQ at 200,621 STRV (182,000 MTRV). Of this quantity, 176,370 STRV (160,000 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 administered on a first-come, first-served basis, USDA will release it in tranches to allow for orderly marketing throughout the year. The FY 2018 specialty sugar TRQ will be opened in five tranches. The first tranche, totaling 1,825 STRV (1,656 MTRV), will open Oct. 2, 2017. All specialty sugars are eligible for entry under this tranche. 

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 second tranche of 52,911 STRV (48,000 MTRV) will open on Oct. 18, 2017. The third tranche of 52,911 STRV (48,000 MTRV) will open on Jan. 23, 2018. The fourth and fifth tranches, both of 35,274 STRV (32,000 MTRV), will open on April 17, 2018, and July 17, 2018, respectively.

The USTR will allocate the refined sugar TRQ, other than the amount reserved for specialty sugar, among supplying countries and customs areas.
* Conversion factor: 1 metric ton = 1.10231125 short tons.

Please click here for the Federal Register notice. 

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