February 7, 2013

Comments on the Dairy Tariff-Rate Import Quota Licensing Programme were being sought by the USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).

Import licensing is one of the tools USDA uses to administer the tariff-rate quota (TRQ) system for US imports of dairy products. For dairy products subject to TRQs, an import license from FAS is generally required to bring in items at the low-tier tariff rate.

Individuals must apply annually for a license from September 1 to October 15. Most of the basic features of the programme regulations have not changed significantly since 1996. The programme administrators request comments on all aspects of the programme, such as ways to take advantage of new technologies and assure fair and competitive access to programme benefits.

Since January 1, 1995, the prior regime of absolute quotas for certain dairy products was replaced by a system of tariff-rate quotas. The articles subject to licensing under the new tariff-rate quotas are listed in Appendices one, two, and three of this subpart. Licenses will be issued pursuant to the provisions of this subpart for the 1997 and subsequent quota years. These licenses will permit the holder to import specified quantities of the subject articles into the US at the applicable in-quota rate of duty. If an importer has no license for an article subject to a tariff-rate quota, such importer will, with certain exceptions, be required to pay the applicable over-quota rate of duty.