Duty free import eligibility determined for sugar products from FTA partners

By | 2023-01-16T16:19:00+00:00 January 16th, 2023|Imports, Tariffs|

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has determined the 2023 trade surpluses for sugar, syrup goods, and sugar-containing products from its Free-Trade Agreement (FTA) partner countries.

The level of a country’s trade surplus in these goods in 2021 helped determine whether the USTR granted duty-free status or preferential tariff treatment under its various Free-Trade Agreement partnerships for 2023.

In 2023, sugar, syrup goods, and sugar-containing products from the following countries can not enter the U.S. duty-free or at preferential tariff rates due to the USTR’s determination that they did not have trade surpluses in these products in 2021:

  • Chile
  • Dominican Republic
  • Morocco
  • Peru

The following countries were determined to have trade surpluses in 2021, and can be imported duty-free in the following aggregate amounts:

  • Colombia (58,250 metric tons)
  • Costa Rica (14,740 metric tons)
  • El Salvador (38,080 metric tons)
  • Guatemala (52,640 metric tons)
  • Honduras (10,720 metric tons)
  • Nicaragua (29,480 metric tons)
  • Panama (560 metric tons)

This takes effect as of Jan. 1, 2023.

For more information, you can read the official Notice from the USTR.

To stay informed on import news and other important updates, stay connected with a customs broker.