USDA Announces Mexican Sugar Import TRQ

April 20, 2001

USDA has announced the fiscal year 2001 tariff-rate quota (TRQ) shipping patterns for U.S. imports of Mexican sugar. Mexico will be allowed to ship up to 70% of its outstanding TRQ quantity of 105,788 metric tons raw value before June 30. The remaining 30%, plus any residual quantity not shipped prior to June 30, may enter during the final quarter (July-September) of the fiscal year.

The announcement fulfills the U.S. commitment to provide Mexico additional duty-free market access for sugar in fiscal 2001 under the North American Free Trade Agreement. On Sept. 21, the U.S. trade representative (USTR) announced that Mexico would be allocated duty-free access totaling 116,000 metric tons in fiscal 2001.

Of this amount, USTR immediately allocated to Mexico a raw sugar TRQ of 7,258 metric tons and a refined sugar TRQ of 2,954 metric tons (raw value) that were not subject to shipping pattern requirements. The allocation to Mexico is part of the United States' World Trade Organization/Uruguay Round market access commitment for sugar.