Sets 2026 FTA sugar duty-free quotas by country under HTS 9822, eliminating access for Chile, Morocco, DR, Peru, Panama and defining limited MT quotas for CAFTA–DR and Colombia.

This USTR notice is directly actionable for U.S. importers of sugar and sugar-containing products using FTA-based duty-free quotas under HTSUS Chapter 98, Subchapter XXII.

Scope and products

The affected goods are certain sugar and syrup goods and sugar-containing products corresponding to HS 1701.12, 1701.13, 1701.14, 1701.91, 1701.99, 1702.20, 1702.30, 1702.40, 1702.60, 1702.90, 1806.10, 2101.12, 2101.20, and 2106.90, when entered under the special FTA quota provisions:

• 9822.02.01 (Chile FTA)
• 9822.03.01 (Morocco FTA)
• 9822.05.20 (CAFTA–DR countries: Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua)
• 9822.06.10 (Peru TPA)
• 9822.08.01 (Colombia TPA)
• 9822.09.17 (Panama TPA)

Regulatory action

Under the FTAs, annual duty-free quota quantities are tied to each partner’s prior-year trade surplus in specified sugar lines. Using 2024 data, USTR determines each country’s surplus and thereby sets the 2026 duty-free quantities.

Key 2026 outcomes (effective January 1, 2026):

• Chile: Negative surplus; 0 MT eligible under 9822.02.01. No duty-free entries under this provision in 2026.
• Morocco: Negative surplus; 0 MT under 9822.03.01. No duty-free entries in 2026.
• CAFTA–DR – Costa Rica: Surplus 41,548 MT; quota capped at 15,400 MT under 9822.05.20.
• CAFTA–DR – Dominican Republic: Negative surplus; 0 MT under 9822.05.20. No duty-free entries in 2026.
• CAFTA–DR – El Salvador: Surplus 271,876 MT; quota 40,120 MT under 9822.05.20.
• CAFTA–DR – Guatemala: Surplus 966,270 MT; quota 55,460 MT under 9822.05.20.
• CAFTA–DR – Honduras: Surplus 118,014 MT; quota 11,200 MT under 9822.05.20.
• CAFTA–DR – Nicaragua: Surplus 406,136 MT; quota 30,800 MT under 9822.05.20.
• Peru: Negative surplus; 0 MT under 9822.06.10. No duty-free entries in 2026.
• Colombia: Surplus 141,864 MT; quota 60,500 MT under 9822.08.01.
• Panama: Negative surplus; 0 MT under 9822.09.17. No duty-free entries in 2026.

Tariff impact

Within the stated quota quantities, qualifying entries under the relevant Chapter 98 subheading receive 0% duty (duty-free). Once a country’s 2026 quota is filled, additional imports of those sugar products from that country cannot use the special 98xx subheading and instead pay the applicable MFN or standard FTA rate under the normal HTS heading. For Chile, Morocco, Dominican Republic, Peru, and Panama, the effective duty-free quantity is reduced to zero, so all 2026 imports of these sugar products must pay normal duties.

Effective date and timing

The determinations apply to entries on or after January 1, 2026, for calendar year 2026. Quotas are administered on a calendar-year basis.

Required actions for importers and brokers

1) Classification and eligibility: Confirm that sugar and sugar-containing products from the listed FTA partners are correctly classified under the base HS codes and, where appropriate, under the relevant Chapter 98 subheading.

2) Country-specific quota use:

• Do not claim 9822.02.01 (Chile), 9822.03.01 (Morocco), 9822.05.20 for Dominican Republic, 9822.06.10 (Peru), or 9822.09.17 (Panama) for 2026 entries, as no duty-free quantity is available.
• For Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Colombia, coordinate with quota administrators and monitor CBP quota status to ensure that duty-free claims under 9822.05.20 and 9822.08.01 remain within the 2026 MT limits.

3) Systems and documentation: Update internal tariff tables, broker instructions, and FTA guidance to reflect the 2026 quota quantities and ineligible countries. Ensure entry summaries and certificates of origin (where required) support any duty-free claims.

4) Pricing and contracts: For affected origins losing duty-free access, review landed cost calculations and adjust contracts or sourcing strategies to account for the applicable non-preferential or standard FTA duty rates.

Because this notice directly changes the availability of duty-free treatment for specific HTS Chapter 98 provisions as of January 1, 2026, it requires immediate planning by trade compliance, sourcing, and customs brokerage teams.