Washington - The Office of the United States Trade Representative today announced the country-by-country tariff-rate quota allocations of the raw cane sugar, refined sugar, and sugar-containing products for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006. A tariff-rate quota is an import policy that allows countries to ship specified quantities of a product to the United States at a relatively low tariff, but subjects all other imports of that product to a higher tariff.

The Secretary of Agriculture established the in-quota quantity of the tariff-rate quota for raw cane sugar for FY 2006 at 1,226,057 metric tons. The country-by-country allocations are:

Country Allocation in Metric Tons

Argentina 50,000

Australia 96,511

Barbados 8,139

Belize 12,791

Bolivia 9,302

Brazil 168,603

Colombia 27,907

Congo 7,258

Cote d'Ivoire 7,258

Costa Rica 17,442

Dominican Republic 204,649

Ecuador 12,791

El Salvador 30,232

Fiji 10,465

Gabon 7,258

Guatemala 55,813

Guyana 13,953

Haiti 7,258

Honduras 11,628

India 9,302

Jamaica 12,791

Madagascar 7,258

Malawi 11,628

Mauritius 13,953

Mexico 7,258

Mozambique 15,116

Nicaragua 24,418

Panama 33,721

Papua New Guinea 7,258

Paraguay 7,258

Peru 47,674

Philippines 156,975

South Africa 26,744

St. Kitts & Nevis 7,258

Swaziland 18,604

Taiwan 13,953

Thailand 16,279

Trinidad-Tobago 8,139

Uruguay 7,258

Zimbabwe 13,953

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. USTR is still consulting with Mexico regarding its net surplus producer status under the NAFTA for FY2006.

This allocation includes the following minimum-quota countries: Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Gabon, Haiti, Madagascar, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, St. Kitts & Nevis, and Uruguay.

The in-quota quantity of the tariff-rate quota for refined sugar for the period October 1, 2005 - September 30, 2006, has been established by the Secretary of Agriculture at 49,000 metric tons, raw value (54,013 short tons), of which the Secretary has reserved 28,656 metric tons (31,588 short tons) for specialty sugars. Of the quantity not reserved for specialty sugars, a total of 10,300 metric tons (11,354 short tons) is being allocated to Canada and 2,954 metric tons (3,256 short tons) is being allocated to Mexico. The remaining 7,090 metric tons (7,815 short tons) of the in-quota quantity not reserved for specialty sugars may be supplied by any country on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to any other provision of law. The 28,656 metric tons (31,588 short tons) reserved for specialty sugars is also not being allocated among supplying countries and is available on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to any other provision of law. USTR also reinstated the certificate of quota eligibility requirements for sugar entering under the tariff-rate quota for refined sugar that is the product of a country that has been allocated a share of the tariff-rate quota for refined sugar.

With respect to the tariff-rate quota of 64,709 metric tons (71,329 short 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, 59,250 metric tons (65,312 short tons) is being allocated to Canada. The remainder of the sugar-containing products tariff-rate quota is available for other countries on a first-come, first-served basis.

Conversion factor: 1 metric ton = 1.10231125 short tons.