Wood Packaging Material
The Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has added a new emergency phytosanitary destruction method for dunnage, pallets, wood packaging material, and other non-compliant wood products. This method comprises using a wood shredder and a hammermill grinder combination to provide for the mechanical destruction of possible pests associated with these non-compliant wood products. Both actions must be used in combination, where shredding is followed by grinding in a hammermill as one treatment.
APHIS states that this option can be utilized if there is an APHIS-approved shredder-hammermill treatment facility within the port location. In addition, an approved APHIS compliance agreement must be in place for the secure disposal equipment to be authorized to treat/destroy violative WPM.
Dairy TRQ Licenses and Fees
The USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service has announced that it will charge a $350 fee (unchanged from 2025) for the 2026 tariff-rate quota year for each license it issues to a person or firm authorizing the importation of certain dairy articles that are subject to TRQs set forth in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the U.S. These articles (which include butter, dried milk, and various cheeses) may only be entered into the U.S. at the in-quota tariff rates by or for the account of a person or firm to whom such licenses have been issued and only in accordance with the terms and conditions of the regulation. Licenses are issued on a calendar year basis and each license authorizes the holder to import a specified quantity and type of dairy article from a specified country of origin.
Separately, FAS has set forth revised appendices to the dairy TRQ licensing regulation for the 2025 quota year reflecting the cumulative annual transfers for certain dairy product import licenses permanently surrendered by licensees or revoked by the licensing authority. Whenever a historical license (Appendix 1) is not issued to an applicant or is permanently surrendered or revoked, the amount of that license must be transferred to the list of non-historical licenses in Appendix 2.
Sugar
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has announced allocations of the in-quota amounts of the TRQs on imported raw cane sugar, refined and specialty sugar, and sugar-containing products for fiscal year 2026 (Oct. 1, 2025, through Sept. 30, 2026). TRQs allow countries to export specified quantities of a product to the U.S. at a relatively low tariff but subject all imports of the product above a pre-determined threshold to a higher tariff.
Argentina
FAS reports that on July 27 Argentina implemented permanent reductions in its export taxes for several major agricultural products, including grains, oilseeds, processed oilseed products, poultry, and beef. Unlike previous temporary cuts, FAS states, these changes take effect immediately upon publication in the Official Bulletin and will remain in place for the duration of the current administration. However, industry groups continue to advocate for deeper or total elimination of export taxes.
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