The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is setting FY 2024 country allocations for imports under tariff-rate quotas for cane sugar and refined sugars. The FY 2024 import TRQ for raw cane sugar was established at 1,117,195 metric tons raw value (MTRV), the minimum amount to which the U.S. is committed under the World Trade Organization (WTO) Uruguay Round Agreements (see 2307050038). The USTR now allocates this TRQ among supplying countries and customs areas, as follows:
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced that it is banning imports of parts of banana and plantain plants from Venezuela due to detection of the plant pest Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Tropical race 4. The prohibition, which takes effect July 19 and was announced in an amended Federal Order, does not apply to banana and plantain fruits, seeds, leaves, cut flowers or plants in tissue culture, APHIS said. Rather, the ban covers imports of Musa spp. and Ensete ventricosum plant parts including rooted plants, rooted and unrooted cuttings, roots, and rhizomes.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation announced July 13 that Special Import Quota #13 for upland cotton will be established July 20, allowing importation of 8,623,379 kilograms (39,606 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Oct. 17, 2023, and entered into the U.S. by Jan. 15, 2024. Special Import Quota #12 for upland cotton was announced July 6. Established July 13, the quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Oct. 10, 2023, and entered into the U.S. by Jan. 8, 2024. The allowed amount in the #12 quota is 8,623,379 kilograms (39,606 bales) of upland cotton, up from 8,079,827 kilograms (37,110 bales) under quota #11 (see 2306300072). The quotas are equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the February through April 2023 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
USDA is increasing the FY 2023 tariff rate quota for raw cane sugar by 125,000 metric tons raw value, it said in a notice July 10. The increase brings the total FY23 TRQ, originally set at the 1,117,195 MTRV minimum mandated by the World Trade Organization, to 1,242,195 MTRV, USDA said. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative will allocate the increase among supplying countries and customs areas. Raw cane sugar under this quota must be accompanied by a certificate for quota eligibility.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service plant inspection stations (PIS) will on Aug. 7 begin the use of entry status notifications to "communicate directly with filers," APHIS announced July 7. Filers no longer will receive an automated "may proceed" message, instead getting a message such as "Data Under Review," "Hold Intact" and "Data Rejected," APHIS said. Only after the inspection process is completed will filers receive a "May Proceed" message, APHIS said.
The Department of Agriculture announced the establishment of the tariff rate quotas for raw cane sugar and refined and specialty sugars (including syrups and molasses) for fiscal year 2024 (Oct. 1, 2023 - Sept. 30, 2024).
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced June 29 that Special Import Quota #11 for upland cotton will be established July 6, allowing importation of 8,079,827 kilograms (37,110 bales ) of upland cotton. No quota was announced for the previous quote period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Oct. 3, 2023, and entered into the U.S. by Jan. 1, 2024. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the February through April 2023 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is allowing imports of fresh leaves and stems of garland chrysanthemum (Glebionis coronarium) from Mexico, it said June 28. APHIS said “the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds,” APHIS said. Effective June 28, APHIS is allowing imports into the continental U.S., Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, subject to the phytosanitary requirements specified by the agency.
The Foreign Agricultural Service published a list of updated quantity trigger levels and applicable periods for products that may be subject to additional import duties under the safeguard provisions of the World Trade Organization Agreement on Agriculture.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will allow imports of Phalaenopsis orchids in approved growing media from Costa Roca into the continental U.S., it said in a notice released June 7. Imports will be subject to the general conditions for importing plants for planting in approved growing media, as well as specific requirements set in a joint U.S.-Costa Rica work plan, APHIS said. The final rule takes effect June 8.