[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 156 (Friday, August 12, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 50285]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-20480]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Fiscal Year 2012 Tariff-Rate Quota Allocations for Raw Cane 
Sugar, Refined and Specialty Sugar and Sugar-Containing Products

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice.

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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:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                        FY 2012 Raw cane
                                                             sugar
                       Country                            allocations
                                                             (MTRV)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Argentina............................................             46,154
Australia............................................             89,087
Barbados.............................................              7,513
Belize...............................................             11,807
Bolivia..............................................              8,587
Brazil...............................................            155,634
Colombia.............................................             25,760
Congo................................................              7,258
Costa Rica...........................................             16,100
Cote d'Ivoire........................................              7,258
Dominican Republic...................................            188,908
Ecuador..............................................             11,807
El Salvador..........................................             27,907
Fiji.................................................              9,660
Gabon................................................              7,258
Guatemala............................................             51,520
Guyana...............................................             12,880
Haiti................................................              7,258
Honduras.............................................             10,733
India................................................              8,587
Jamaica..............................................             11,807
Madagascar...........................................              7,258
Malawi...............................................             10,733
Mauritius............................................             12,880
Mozambique...........................................             13,953
Nicaragua............................................             22,540
Panama...............................................             31,127
Papua New Guinea.....................................              7,258
Paraguay.............................................              7,258
Peru.................................................             44,007
Philippines..........................................            144,901
South Africa.........................................             24,687
St. Kitts & Nevis....................................              7,258
Swaziland............................................             17,174
Thailand.............................................             15,027
Trinidad & Tobago....................................              7,513
Uruguay..............................................              7,258
Zimbabwe.............................................             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