U.S. Sugar Import Program

Raw cane sugar, refined sugar, sugar syrups, specialty sugars and sugar-containing products enter the United States under a variety of tariff-rate quotas (TRQs). A tariff-rate quota provides for a low tariff on a certain quantity (the quota amount), and a higher tariff on any quantity above the level of the quota. Under the WTO (Uruguay Round) and some other free trade agreements, the United States has committed to minimum annual low-duty access amounts for certain sugars and sugar-containing products. Sugar and any related products paying the high tariff may enter in unlimited quantities.

The USDA also administers three re-export programs involving sugar. The USDA’s Sugar-Containing Products Re-Export Program is designed to put U.S. manufacturers of sugar-containing products on a level playing field in the world market. The Refined Sugar Re-Export Program is designed to facilitate the use of domestic refining capacity to export refined sugar into the world market. The Sugar for the Production of Polyhydric Alcohol Program is established to provide world priced sugar to U.S. manufacturers of polyhydric alcohols.

News

• USDA to Provide Daily Update of Imports under the FY 2011 Tariff-Rate Quota for Refined Sugar
  (10/19/11)
• USDA Announces Increase in Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 Refined Sugar Tariff-rate Quota (TRQ) and Extends Entry Period Until November 30 (09/30/11)
• USDA Announces Extension of Fiscal Year 2011 Raw Sugar Tariff-Rate Quota Entry Period (08/26/11)
• CORRECTION: USDA Announces Sugar Tariff Rate Quotas for Fiscal Year 2012
  (08/04/11)
• News Archive

More Information

• Re-Export Programs
• Trade Provisions in Free Trade Agreements
• Monthly Import and Re-Export Data Report