Sugar and Sweeteners Outlook: August 2011

by Stephen Haley

On August 1, 2011, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 raw and refined sugar tariff-rate quotas (TRQs), an extension of the FY 2012 raw sugar TRQ time period, and an increase in the FY 2011 specialty sugar TRQ. The FY 2012 TRQ for raw cane sugar is set at 1,231,497 short tons, raw value (STRV), or 1,117,195 metric tons, raw value (MTRV), the minimum to which the United States is committed under the World Trade Organization (WTO) Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture. The USDA also announced that sugar entering under this FY 2012 raw sugar TRQ will be permitted to enter U.S. Customs territory beginning September 1, 2011, a month earlier than the usual first entry date of October 1. The USDA established the FY 2012 refined sugar TRQ at 124,251 STRV (112,718 MTRV). Of this quantity, 101,825 STRV (92,374 MTRV) is reserved for the importation of specialty sugars. USDA announced also an increase in the FY 2011 specialty sugar TRQ by 10,000 STRV (9,072 MTRV). This increase is needed to accommodate a rapidly growing processed organic foods sector.

Keywords: Sugar, exports, imports, yield, production, ending stocks

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