USTR announces fiscal year 2025 WTO tariff-rate quota allocations for raw cane sugar, refined and specialty sugar

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has announced the country-specific and first-come, first-served in-quota allocations of the tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) on imported raw cane sugar, refined and specialty sugar, and sugar-containing products for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 (October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025).

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.

On June 14, 2024, the Acting 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 2025. The in-quota quantity for the TRQ on raw cane sugar for FY 2025 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. 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 June 14, 2024, the Administrator also announced the establishment of the in-quota quantity of the FY 2025 refined sugar TRQ at 232,000 MTRV, 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 Agreement (22,000 MTRV of which 1,656 MTRV is reserved for specialty sugar) and an additional 210,000 MTRV for specialty sugars. 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.

Imports of all specialty sugar will be administered on a first-come, first-served basis in five tranches. The Administrator has announced that the total in-quota quantity of specialty sugar will be the 1,656 MTRV reserved within the WTO minimum commitment plus an additional 210,000 MTRV. The first tranche of 1,656 MTRV will open on October 1, 2024. All types of specialty sugars are eligible for entry under this tranche. The second tranche of 75,000 MTRV will open on October 8, 2024. The third tranche of 45,000 MTRV will open on January 21, 2025. The fourth tranche of 45,000 MTRV will open on April 14, 2025. The fifth tranche of 45,000 MTRV will open on July 14, 2025. 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 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 Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the U.S., 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 2024 TRQs may enter the United States as of October 1, 2024.

Conversion factor: 1 metric ton = 1.10231125 short tons.