Based upon a determination by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that additional supplies of raw cane sugar are required in the U.S. market, the USDA announced on April 23, 2010 that it intends to increase the 2010 fiscal year raw cane sugar tariff-rate quota (TRQ) by 200,000 short tons raw value. (STRV).

The decision will result in an overall fiscal year 2010 raw sugar TRQ of 1,431,497 STRV. In the coming weeks, the U.S. Trade Representative will allocate this increase among the supplying countries. As with current requirements for raw sugar, the raw sugar under the TRQ increase will require a Certificate of Quota Eligibility (CQE). The applicable tariff classification will be HTS 1701.11.10.

The increase in the raw sugar TRQ was the result of reassignment of surplus sugar under domestic cane sugar allotments. The USDA has announced that it will continue to monitor consumption, imports and domestic production of sugar and may need to make additional adjustments.

Steve Spraitzar is an attorney with the Law Offices of George R. Tuttle in San Francisco.

The information in this article is general in nature, and is not intended to constitute legal advice or to create an attorney-client relationship with respect to any event or occurrence, and may not be considered as such.

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