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) 2004. 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 2004 at 1,117,195 metric tons. This is the minimum level to
which the United States is committed to under the World Trade Organization (WTO)
Agreement. The country-by-country allocations are:
Country
FY 2004 Allocation in Metric Tons
Argentina
45,281
Australia
87,402
Barbados
7,371
Belize
11,583
Bolivia
8,424
Brazil
152,691
Colombia
25,273
Congo
7,258
Cote d'Ivoire
7,258
Costa Rica
15,796
Dominican Republic
185,335
Ecuador
11,583
El Salvador
27,379
Fiji
9,477
Gabon
7,258
Guatemala
50,546
Guyana
12,636
Haiti
7,258
Honduras
10,530
India
8,424
Jamaica
11,583
Madagascar
7,258
Malawi
10,530
Mauritius
12,636
Mexico
7,258
Mozambique
13,690
Nicaragua
22,114
Panama
30,538
Papua New Guinea
7,258
Paraguay
7,258
Peru
43,175
Philippines
142,160
South Africa
24,220
St. Kitts & Nevis
7,258
Swaziland
16,849
Taiwan
12,636
Thailand
14,743
Trinidad-Tobago
7,371
Uruguay
7,258
Zimbabwe
12,636
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.
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 FY 2004 has been
established by the Secretary of Agriculture at 39,000 metric tons, raw value
(42,990 short tons). Of this, the Secretary reserved 18,656 metric tons (20,565
short tons) for specialty sugars. Of the quantity not reserved for specialty
sugar, 10,300 metric tons (11,354 short tons) is allocated to Canada and 2,954
metric tons (3,256 short tons) is allocated to Mexico. The remaining 7,090
metric tons (7,815 short tons) of the in-quota quantity may be supplied by any
country, subject to any other provision of law, on a first-come, first-served
basis. The 18,656 metric tons reserved for specialty sugars may also be supplied
by any country, subject to any other provision of law, on a first-come,
first-served basis.
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.
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