USTR Lists Countries Eligible for 2025 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 2025. USTR found Colombia, Panama and five members of the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement -- Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua -- eligible for the TRQ. The agency found that Chile, the Dominican Republic, Morocco and Peru don't qualify.
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Five CAFTA-DR Countries, Panama and Colombia Eligible for 2025 'Trade Surplus' TRQs
For Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua (all members of CAFTA-DR), Colombia and Panama, exports of sugar and syrup goods and sugar-containing products each exceeded their imports of those goods in calendar year 2023. As a result, each of these countries has a trade surplus and is eligible to receive in calendar year 2024 the following “trade surplus” TRQ amounts to be entered duty-free under CAFTA-DR (HTS 9822.05.20), and the FTAs for Colombia (HTS 9822.08.01) and Panama (HTS 9822.09.17).
| 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 |
| Colombia | 59,750 metric tons |
| Panama | 570 metric tons |
Chile, Morocco, Dominican Republic and Peru Not Eligible for 2025 'Trade Surplus' TRQ
According to USTR, 2023 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 2025. Subject goods of the Dominican Republic are not eligible to enter duty-free under subheading 9822.05.20 in CY 2025. Subject goods from Morocco are not eligible to enter the U.S. duty-free under HTS 9822.03.01 in CY 2025. And subject goods from Peru are not eligible to enter the U.S. duty-free under HTS 9822.06.10 in CY 2025.