USDA Allows Specialty Sugar Imports

WASHINGTON - Apr 5/06 - SNS -- The USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service will allow all types of specialty sugars to be imported into the United States under all tranches of the fiscal year 2006 specialty sugar tariff-rate quota (TRQ).

"This will expand opportunities for additional refined sugar to enter the United States," the USDA said. "Previously, these tranches had been reserved for organic sugar and other specialty sugars not currently produced commercially in the United States or not reasonably available from domestic sources."

This announcement applies to the third tranche of 9,000 metric tons (MT), which opened March 17, 2006, and to the fourth tranche of 9,000 MT, which will open June 7, 2006. This announcement does not apply to the fiscal year 2007 specialty sugar TRQ, which has not yet been established.

The global refined sugar TRQ established on Feb. 2, 2006, was filled on March 13. If an entry that was charged to this TRQ is determined to be more properly classified under another tariff number, one possible result could be an "under fill" of the global refined sugar TRQ. If the "under fill" was substantial, USDA may direct the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Service to re-open this TRQ. The opening would be only for sugar that has not been entered previously.