Fiscal Year 2020 Sugar TRQ Announced and Allocated by Country

September 20, 2019 – The Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Sugar Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) for imports of raw cane sugar, refined sugar, and specialty sugar were announced on June 27, 2019, by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Country specific TRQ allocations for raw cane sugar were announced by the United States Trade Representative (USTR) on July 15, 2019.

The 2020 FY covers the period October 1, 2019 through September 30, 2020, although some quotas may potentially fill upon opening.

Sugar Quota amounts and allocations:

Raw -For raw cane sugar, the FY 2020 TRQ will be 1,117,195 metric tons raw value (MTRV), and opens on October 1, 2019. Raw cane sugar under this TRQ must be accompanied by a certificate of quota eligibility (CQE).

Refined -For refined sugar the FY 2020 TRQ will be 192,000 MTRV. Of this quantity, 170,000 MTRV is reserved for the importation of specialty sugars.

The 2020 Quota period opens on October 1, 2019.

The USTR allocated 10,300 MTRV of refined sugar to Canada, and 2,954 MTRV to Mexico (but Mexico is currently excluded). The Canadian and Mexican quotas require a Certificate of Quota Eligibility (CQE).

Open to all countries is a refined sugar allotment of 7,090 MTRV which will be administered on a first-come, first-served basis, and is expected to oversubscribe at opening.

Specialty -For specialty sugar imports will be administered on a first-come, first-served basis in five tranches, as follows:

  • First tranche -opens October 1, 2019, totaling 1,656 MTRV, with all

specialty sugar eligible for entry under this tranche.

  • Second tranche –opens October 9, 2019, totaling 50,000 MTRV**
  • Third tranche -opens January 22, 2020, totaling 55,000 MTRV**
  • Fourth tranche -opens April 15, 2020, totaling 35,000 MTRV**
  • Fifth tranche –opens July 15, 2020, totaling 35,000 MTRV**

**The second through fifth tranches require a “Specialty Sugar Certificate” issued by the USDA, and are reserved for organic sugar and other specialty sugars not currently produced commercially in the United States or reasonably available from domestic sources.

Sugar containing products -For sugar containing products of Additional U.S. Note (AUSN) 8 to Chapter 17 to the US Tariff, the FY 2020 TRQ will be 64,709 MTRV. The USTR allocated 59,250 MTRV to Canada. The remainder, 5,459 MTRV, is available for other countries on a first-come, first-served basis.

The 2020 Quota period opens on October 1, 2019.

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.

If you have any questions regarding tariff rate quota for sugar in the 2020 fiscal year, Livingston can help!  Please contact either your Livingston account manager or our U.S. Regulatory Affairs Group at usregaffairs@livingstonintl.com