Each license authorizes the holder to import a certain quantity and type of dairy product from a foreign country under the TRQ. USDA is reallocating unused licenses for the remainder of 2017, and Friday is the last day for dairy importers to apply for them in the first round. No second round has been announced. Oct. 2 is the last day for dairy importers to surrender their unused licenses for 2017.
The application window for a 2018 import license is September 1 to October 16, 2017. Dairy importers may log in to USDA’s DAIRIES system to apply for 2018 licenses and to either surrender or apply for reallocation of 2017 licenses.
Licenses are issued on a calendar year basis. USDA uses the annual licenses to calculate the amount of a given product entering the United States and subsequently determines the tariff rate for imported product. No license is required to import products at the high-tier rate.
“While TRQ rates and quantities vary, licenses are required for most dairy products,” said Beth Hughes, IDFA director of international affairs. “However, soft-ripened cheeses like Brie or cow’s milk products imported under a Free Trade Agreement that fall under a ‘first come, first-served’ system are exempt.”
USDA also announced this week that U.S. companies importing dairy products under the 2018 TRQ system will now be charged a $300 fee per license granted, a $50 increase from 2017. Fees will be due by March 15, 2018.
Source: International Dairy Foods Association
Link: http://www.idfa.org/news-views/headline-news/article/2017/09/13/usda-announces-trq-reallocations-for-u.s.-dairy-importers