Increase in Fiscal Year 2017 Specialty Sugar Tariff-Rate Quota

Federal Register, Volume 82 Issue 37 (Monday, February 27, 2017)

Federal Register Volume 82, Number 37 (Monday, February 27, 2017)

Notices

Page 11893

From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov

FR Doc No: 2017-03826

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Office of the Secretary

Increase in Fiscal Year 2017 Specialty Sugar Tariff-Rate Quota

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Office of the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture (the Secretary) is providing notice of an increase in the fiscal year (FY) 2017 specialty sugar tariff-rate quota (TRQ) of 40,000 metric tons raw value (MTRV).

DATES: Effective Date: February 27, 2017.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Souleymane Diaby, Import Policies and Export Reporting Division, Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., AgStop 1021, Washington, DC 20250-1021; by telephone (202) 720-2916; by fax (202) 720-0876; or by email to Souleymane.Diaby@fas.usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 6, 2016, USDA announced the establishment of the in-quota quantity of the FY 2017 refined sugar TRQ at 162,000 MTRV for which the sucrose content, by weight in the dry state, must have a polarimeter reading of 99.5 degrees or more (81 FR 27390, May 6, 2016). This amount included the minimum level to which the United States is committed under the WTO Uruguay Round Agreements (22,000 MTRV of which 1,656 MTRV is reserved for specialty sugar) and an additional 140,000 MTRV reserved for specialty sugars.

Pursuant to Additional U.S. Note 5 to Chapter 17 of the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) and Section 359k of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938, as amended, the Secretary today increased the overall FY 2017 refined sugar TRQ by 40,000 MTRV to 202,000 MTRV. The increased amount is reserved for specialty sugar. Entry of this sugar will be permitted beginning March 1, 2017. The sugar entered under this tariff-rate quota is reserved for organic sugar and other specialty sugars not currently produced commercially in the United States or reasonably available from domestic sources.

Dated: February 7, 2017.

Jason Hafemeister,

Acting Deputy Under Secretary, Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services.

FR Doc. 2017-03826 Filed 2-24-17; 8:45 am

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