USTR Lists Countries Eligible for 2023 Sugar 'Trade Surplus' TRQs
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced eligibility for “trade surplus” tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) for sugar originating in certain free trade agreement countries for calendar year 2023. USTR found Colombia, Panama and five members of the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) eligible for the TRQ. The agency found that Chile, the Dominican Republic, Morocco and Peru do not qualify.
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Five CAFTA-DR Countries, Panama and Colombia Eligible for 2023 'Trade Surplus' TRQs
For Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua (all members of CAFTA-DR), Panama and Colombia, exports of sugar and syrup goods and sugar-containing products each exceeded their imports of those goods in calendar year 2021. As a result, each of these countries has a trade surplus and is eligible to receive in calendar year 2023 the following “trade surplus” TRQ amounts to be entered duty-free under CAFTA-DR (HTS 9822.05.20), and FTAs for Panama (HTS 9822.09.17) and Colombia (HTS 9822.08.01).
| Costa Rica | 14,740 metric tons |
| El Salvador | 38,080 metric tons |
| Guatemala | 52,640 metric tons |
| Honduras | 10,720 metric tons |
| Nicaragua | 29,480 metric tons |
| Colombia | 58,250 metric tons |
| Panama | 560 metric tons |
Chile, Morocco, Dominican Republic and Peru Not Eligible for 2023 'Trade Surplus' TRQ
According to USTR, 2021 data indicates that for Chile, the Dominican Republic, Morocco and Peru, imports of sugar and syrup goods and sugar-containing products exceeded its exports of those goods, resulting in a trade deficit and ineligibility for the “trade surplus” TRQ. Therefore, subject goods from Chile are not eligible to enter the U.S. duty-free under HTS 9822.02.01 in CY 2023. Subject goods of the Dominican Republic are not eligible to enter duty-free under subheading 9822.05.20 in CY 2023. Subject goods from Morocco are not eligible to enter the U.S. duty-free under HTS 9822.03.01 in CY 2023. In addition, subject goods from Peru are not eligible to enter the U.S. duty-free under HTS 9822.06.10 in CY 2023.