On August 10, 2007, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the tariff-rate-quotas (TRQs) for raw and refined sugar for Fiscal Year (FY) 2008. On August 17, the U.S. Trade Representative announced the country-by-country tariff-rate quota allocations for raw cane sugar, refined sugar, and sugar-containing products for the 40 participating quota-holding countries. The low-tariff rate allocations cover imports into the United States for the period October 1, 2007, through September 30, 2008, and are based on historical market shares with the United States in accordance with U.S. World Trade Organization obligations.
The U.S. Embassy in Belmopan confirmed today that of the total TRQ of 1,117,195 metric tons (1,231,497 short tons) of raw cane sugar, Belize was allocated 11,583 metric tons (12,768 short tons) for quota year 2008. The FY 2008 allocation for Belize is virtually the same as the allocations in past years. Belize’s allocation is comparable to two other Caribbean producers – Ecuador and Jamaica – with substantially larger populations.
Certificates of quota eligibility must accompany imports from countries receiving an allocation.
Further details regarding Belize's allocation, as well as the overall level of the WTO TRQ, may be found on the USDA/FAS and USTR web sites (
www.fas.usda.gov and
www.ustr.gov).