The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has published its annual determination of trade surplus volumes for certain sugar and syrup goods and sugar-containing products under various U.S. free trade agreements, which affects eligibility for duty-free treatment in 2026. Key outcomes for calendar year (CY) 2026:
- Colombia: USTR determined a trade surplus of 141,864 metric tons, resulting in an aggregate duty-free entry quantity of 60,500 metric tons under the Colombia TPA
- Costa Rica: Determined surplus supports a duty-free quantity of 15,400 metric tons under CAFTA-DR
- El Salvador: Surplus supports 40,120 metric tons duty-free under CAFTA-DR
- Guatemala: Surplus supports 55,460 metric tons duty-free under CAFTA-DR
- Honduras: Surplus supports 11,200 metric tons duty-free under CAFTA-DR
- Nicaragua: Surplus supports 30,800 metric tons duty-free under CAFTA-DR
Countries with no eligible duty-free entry:
- Chile, Morocco, the Dominican Republic, Peru, and Panama were found not to have a positive trade surplus for the relevant products and therefore will not qualify for duty-free entry under the applicable trade agreement provisions in 2026
This determination is published in the Federal Register and is effective January 1, 2026 – you can read the article here.
