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CBP Notice on CQEs for Sugar Entering the U.S. By Rail or Truck

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a QBT announcing that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has clarified the information required on a certificate of quota eligibility (CQE) for sugar that enters the U.S. by rail carrier or truck container.

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Five Data Elements Required on CQE

According to CBP, sugar under tariff-rate quota (TRQ) entering in the U.S. by rail car or truck (includes sugar on an ocean vessel so long as the sugar originated from a rail car or truck container) and requiring a CQE must have the following information to be deemed valid:

CQE number

Current quota period

Quantity

Name of shipper

Signature or stamp by a Certifying Authority

No Rejection of CQE Based on Seven Data Elements

Furthermore, CBP states that a CQE will not be rejected based on information entered on the following lines:

Name of vessel

Port of loading

Name of consignee

Address of consignee

Expected date of departure

Expected date of arrival in U.S.

Expected port of arrival in U.S.

(According to a USDA fact sheet on sugar, sugar CQEs are issued by the USDA and validated by the exporting countries' certifying authorities. USDA sources add that sugar needing CQEs is described in HTS Chapter 17, Additional U.S. Note (AUSN) 5, and that in general: global quotas (first come, first served) don't require CQEs, raw sugar requires CQEs, and refined sugar from Canada or Mexico requires CQEs.)

CBP contact: Christine Kegley (202) 344-2319

QBT-06-530 (sugar), dated 06/23/06, available at http://www.customs.gov/linkhandler/cgov/import/textiles_and_quotas/qbts/qbt2006/06_530.ctt/06_530.doc

USDA fact sheet on U.S. sugar program, dated March 2006, available at http://www.fas.usda.gov/info/factsheets/sugar.asp