Dive Brief:
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture 's Foreign Agricultural Service announced the fiscal 2016 raw and refined sugar tariff rate quotas (TRQ). Raw cane sugar TRQ will be about 1.23 million short tons, raw value, which is the minimum mandated by the World Trade Organization Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture.
- "The fiscal 2016 refined sugar T.R.Q. was established at 145,505 short tons, raw value, of which 123,079 tons is reserved for specialty sugars as defined by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. The total refined sugar T.R.Q. includes a 24,251-ton minimum W.T.O. commitment, of which 1,825 tons is reserved for specialty sugar," according to Food Business News.
- The agency also increased the fiscal 2015 specialty sugar TRQ by 22,046 short tons, raw value, from 24,306 tons to 46,352 tons. This sugar can enter the U.S. starting July 10.
Dive Insight:
The increase for fiscal year 2015 is meant to enable the U.S. to import more organic and specialty sugars that it does not produce domestically. The trend toward organic and specialty sugars comes as part of consumers' demand for organic and other specialty health products in general.
"T.R.Q. raw cane sugar may enter the United States until Sept. 30, 2016, the U.S.D.A. said. The specialty sugar T.R.Q. is first-come, first-served, and may enter the United States in five tranches: 1,825 tons open to all specialty sugars on Oct. 9, 2015; and 30,314 tons each in the remaining four tranches, for organic sugar and other specialty sugars not produced commercially in the United States or reasonably available from domestic sources, that open Oct. 23, 2015, Jan. 8, 2016, April 8, 2016, and July 8, 2016, " Food Business News reported.