Duty-Free Sugar Imports
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has determined that certain sugar and syrup goods and sugar-containing products from Chile, the Dominican Republic, Morocco, and Peru may not enter the U.S. duty-free or at preferential tariff rates in 2025. Under the free trade agreements the U.S. has in place with these countries, USTR is allowed to take this action because they did not have trade surpluses in these products in 2023.
However, USTR has determined that the following countries did have trade surpluses in sugar and syrup goods and sugar-containing products in 2023. As a result, the following aggregate quantities of such goods may be entered duty-free in 2025.
- Colombia: 59,750 metric tons
- Costa Rica: 15,180 metric tons
- El Salvador: 39,440 metric tons
- Guatemala: 54,520 metric tons
- Honduras: 11,040 metric tons
- Nicaragua: 30,360 metric tons
- Panama: 570 metric tons
Pork Imports
Effective Aug. 28 the Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service imposed the following restrictions on the importation of porcine (pork, swine, and pig) commodities originating from or transiting Sri Lanka due to the presence of African swine fever.
- importation of live swine and swine germplasm is prohibited
- imports of unprocessed porcine products and byproducts arriving as cargo are prohibited (though in some cases they may be imported if consigned directly from the port of arrival to an eligible USDA-approved establishment)
- imports of processed porcine products and byproducts arriving as cargo must be accompanied by an APHIS import permit and/or government certification confirming that the products or byproducts were treated in accordance with APHIS requirements
Poultry Imports
APHIS has imposed the restrictions listed below on importations from zones PCZ-248 and -249 in British Columbia, Canada (effective Nov. 21), and zone PCZ-250 in Manitoba, Canada (effective Nov. 27), based on determinations that highly-pathogenic avian influenza exists in domestic birds in these areas.
- Fully finished, non-shelf stable, and/or non-commercially packaged and labeled food products containing pasteurized egg/egg product ingredients, originating from or transiting all of Canada must be accompanied by an APHIS import permit.
- Processed avian products and byproducts originating from or transiting these areas, imported as cargo, must be accompanied by an APHIS import permit and/or government certification confirming that the products were treated according to APHIS requirements.
- Importation as cargo of fresh, unprocessed shell/table eggs and other egg products, void of the shell (i.e., liquid eggs, dried egg whites), originating from or transiting these areas is prohibited unless the products are consigned from the port of arrival directly to an APHIS-approved breaking and pasteurization facility. An import permit and/or certificate is not required for these shipments when consigned directly to an APHIS-approved establishment.
Exports to Thailand
The USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service reports that effective Nov. 29 the Thai Food and Drug Administration repealed the requirement for certification of copies of export certificates for foods, including fresh fruit and vegetable shipments, imported into Thailand, when those certificates can be verified online. To qualify for this exemption the documents must contain the following verifiable information: (1) name of the food production system standard, (2) name and address of the certified food production facility, (3) scope of certification, (4) date of certification, expiration date, or certification status, and (5) issuing agency, accreditation body, or standard owner.
Copyright © 2025 Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A.; WorldTrade Interactive, Inc. All rights reserved.