Background

Sugar Tariff-Rate Quotas for FY 2021

The Department of Agriculture has established the amounts of raw cane sugar and certain sugars, syrups, and molasses (collectively referred to as refined sugar) that may be imported under the lower tier of duties provided by the tariff-rate quotas for these products during fiscal year 2021 (Oct. 1, 2020, through Sept. 30, 2021). Specifically, aggregate quantities of up to 1,117,195 metric tons raw value of raw cane sugar (unchanged from FY 2020) and 162,000 MTRV of sugars, syrups, and molasses (down from 192,000 MTRV) may be entered or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption under these TRQs during this period.

Of the latter quantity, 141,656 MTRV (down from 171,656 MTRV) is reserved for the importation of specialty sugars, and this TRQ will be opened in five tranches. The first, totaling 1,656 MTRV, will open Oct. 1, and all specialty sugars will be eligible for entry. The additional tranches will open Oct. 8 (40,000 MTRV), Jan. 21 (40,000 MTRV), April 15 (30,000 MTRV), and July 15 (30,000 MTRV) and will each will be reserved for organic sugar and other specialty sugars not currently produced commercially in the U.S. or reasonably available from domestic sources.

Soil Import Permits

The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has announced plans to streamline the application process for soil import permits (form PPQ 525). Beginning later this summer (start date to be announced later), permit applicants will no longer have to sign a compliance agreement for the chemical or physical analysis of regulated imported soil or imported soil for decontamination by incineration or landfill disposal. Instead, APHIS will incorporate the safeguarding requirements previously contained in these compliance agreements into the permit conditions.

APHIS states that under this streamlined process applicants will have to submit standard operating procedures describing facility operations through ePermits. Applicants will also need to complete a questionnaire in ePermits that covers facility security, equipment, and storage capabilities.

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