WASHINGTON D.C. — The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced country allocations for 397,012 tonnes, raw value (437,630 short tons), of tariff-rate quota (T.R.Q.) raw cane sugar imports for 2010-11 (fiscal year 2011 ending Sept. 30, 2011), with 44% of the total going to Brazil, Philippines and Australia.
The total includes 294,835 tonnes (325,000 tons) reassigned from unused U.S. domestic cane sugar allocations to T.R.Q. imports announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Monday, and the reallocation of 102,177 tonnes (112,630 tons) of original T.R.Q. raw cane sugar from countries that said they would not be able to fill their allocations to countries that have indicated they have additional raw cane sugar available.
The total reallocations by country include: Brazil, 72,148 tonnes; Philippines, 60,000 tonnes; Australia, 41,299 tonnes; Guatemala, 23,884 tonnes; Argentina, 21,395 tonnes; Peru, 20,400 tonnes; Dominican Republic, 20,000 tonnes; Panama, 14,430 tonnes; El Salvador, 12,937 tonnes; Colombia, 11,941 tonnes; South Africa, 11,444 tonnes; Nicaragua, 10,449 tonnes; Swaziland, 7,961 tonnes; Costa Rica, 7,463 tonnes; Thailand, 6,966 tonnes; Mozambique, 6,469 tonnes; Guyana, 5,971 tonnes; Zimbabwe, 5,971 tonnes; Belize, 5,474 tonnes; Ecuador, 5,474 tonnes; Honduras, 5,000 tonnes; Jamaica, 5,000 tonnes; Malawi, 4,976 tonnes; Bolivia, 3,980 tonnes; India, 3,980 tonnes; and Mauritius, 2,000 tonnes.
On Aug. 5, 2010, the U.S.D.A. set the 2010-11 T.R.Q. at the 1,231,497-ton World Trade Organization minimum. With the April 12 increase of 294,835 tonnes (325,000 tons), the overall 2010-11 raw sugar T.R.Q. will be 1,412,030 tonnes (1,556,497 tons). Raw sugar imports must be certified by Sept. 30, 2011.
The new country allocations do not affect duty-free sugar exports from countries with free trade agreements with the United States, including shipments from Mexico under the North American Free Trade Agreement.