Document headings vary by document type but may contain
                    the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document
the number of the CFR title and the number of each part
                      the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly
                      related to
the agency docket number / agency internal file number
the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in
                      the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory
                      Actions See the
                    Document Drafting Handbook
                    for more details.
 Office of the United States Trade Representative
 AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.
 ACTION: Notice.
 SUMMARY: The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is providing notice of country-by-country allocations of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 in-quota quantity of the tariff-rate quotas for imported raw cane sugar, refined and specialty sugar and sugar-containing products.
 DATES: *Effective Date:*
                         September 1, 2011.
 ADDRESSES: Inquiries may be mailed or delivered to Julie Scott, Office of Agricultural Affairs, Office of the United States Trade Representative, 600 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20508.
 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Julie Scott, Office of Agricultural Affairs, 
                        *telephone:*
                         202-395-9582 or 
                        *facsimile:*
                         202-395-4579.


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to Additional U.S. Note 5 to chapter 17 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS), the United States maintains tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) for imports of raw cane sugar and refined sugar. Pursuant to Additional U.S. Note 8 to Chapter 17 of the HTS, the United States maintains a TRQ for imports of sugar-containing products. Section 404(d)(3) of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (19 U.S.C. 3601(d)(3)) authorizes the President to allocate the in-quota quantity of a TRQ for any agricultural product among supplying countries or customs areas. The President delegated this authority to the United States Trade Representative under Presidential Proclamation 6763 (60 FR 1007). On August 1, 2011, the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) announced the sugar program provisions for fiscal year (FY) 2012. The Secretary announced an in-quota quantity of the TRQ for raw cane sugar for FY 2012 of 1,117,195 metric tons * raw value (MTRV), which is the minimum amount to which the United States is committed under the World Trade Organization (WTO) Uruguay Round Agreements. USTR is allocating this quantity (1,117,195 MTRV) to the following countries in the amounts specified below: Country
FY 2012 Raw cane sugar 
                             allocations  
                             (MTRV)Argentina
46,154Australia
89,087Barbados
7,513Belize
11,807Bolivia
8,587Brazil
155,634Colombia
25,760Congo
7,258Costa Rica
16,100Cote d'Ivoire
7,258Dominican Republic
188,908Ecuador
11,807El Salvador
27,907Fiji
9,660Gabon
7,258Guatemala
51,520Guyana
12,880Haiti
7,258Honduras
10,733India
8,587Jamaica
11,807Madagascar
7,258Malawi
10,733Mauritius
12,880Mozambique
13,953Nicaragua
22,540Panama
31,127Papua New Guinea
7,258Paraguay
7,258Peru
44,007Philippines
144,901South Africa
24,687St. Kitts & Nevis
7,258Swaziland
17,174Thailand
15,027Trinidad & Tobago
7,513Uruguay
7,258Zimbabwe
12,880
 These allocations are based on the countries' historical shipments to the United States and consultations with quota-holding countries. The allocations of the in-quota quantities of the raw cane sugar TRQ to countries that are net importers of sugar are conditioned on receipt of the appropriate verifications of origin, and certificates for quota eligibility must accompany imports from any country for which an allocation has been provided. On August 1, 2011, the Secretary also announced the establishment of the in-quota quantity of the FY 2012 refined sugar TRQ at 112,718 MTRV for which the sucrose content, by weight in the dry state, must have a polarimeter reading of 99.5 degrees or more. This amount includes the minimum level to which the United States is committed under the WTO Uruguay Round Agreements (22,000 MTRV of which 1,656 MTRV is reserved for specialty sugar) and an additional 90,718 MTRV for specialty sugars. Based on consultations with quota-holding countries, USTR is allocating a total of 12,050 MTRV of refined sugar to Canada and 8,294 MTRV of refined sugar to be administered on a first-come, first-served basis. Imports of all specialty sugar will be administered on a first-come, first-served basis in five tranches. The Secretary has announced that the total in-quota quantity of specialty sugar will be the 1,656 MTRV included in the WTO minimum plus an additional 90,718 MTRV. The first tranche of 1,656 MTRV will open October 12, 2011. All types of specialty sugars are eligible for entry under this tranche. The second tranche of 33,565 MTRV will open on October 26, 2011. The third, fourth, and fifth tranches of 19,051 MTRV each will open on January 11, 2012, April 11, 2012 and July 11, 2012, respectively. The second, third, fourth and fifth tranches will be reserved for organic sugar and other specialty sugars not currently produced commercially in the United States or reasonably available from domestic sources. With respect to the in-quota quantity of 64,709 metric tons (MT) of the TRQ for imports of certain sugar-containing products maintained under Additional U.S. Note 8 to chapter 17 of the HTS, USTR is allocating 59,250 MT to Canada. The remainder, 5,459 MT, of the in-quota quantity is available for other countries on a first-come, first-served basis. In response to increased tightness in the U.S. raw cane sugar market, USDA also announced that it will open its raw cane sugar TRQs on September 1, 2011, a month earlier than the usual entry date of October 1. This early entry date does not apply to TRQs for refined and specialty sugar and sugar-containing products. * 
                    *Conversion factor:*
                     1 metric ton = 1.10231125 short tons. Ronald Kirk, United States Trade Representative.


[FR Doc. 2011-20480 Filed 8-11-11; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3190-W1-P