ZIMBABWE RAW SUGAR TARIFF RATE QUOTA UPDATE

UNCLAS HARARE 000158 SIPDIS SIPDIS AF/S FOR BNEULING EB/TPP/ABT/ATP FOR PATRICK HUDAK NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR C. COURVILLE USDOC FOR BECKY ERKUL TREASURY FOR J. RALYEA, B. CUSHMAN PASS USTR FOR FLORIZELLE LISER, SHARON BOMER STATE PASS USAID FOR MARJORIE COPSON USDA/FAS FOR RON LORD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR ETRD ECON ZI SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE RAW SUGAR TARIFF RATE QUOTA UPDATE REF: STATE 14374 ¶1. (U) EconOff delivered reftel demarche to Zimbabwe Sugar Sales (ZSS),Zimbabwe,s designated sugar certifying authority, on January 30, 2006. ZSS informed EconOff that it plans to use its current quota and could supply up to 17,000 additional metric tons of raw sugar if there is an increase in the U.S. tariff rate quota. ¶2. (U) Post provides the full text of ZSS, response below: 3 February 2006 The Commercial Officer Embassy of the United States of AMERICA Herbert Chitepo Avenue HARARE Attention: Manav Jain Dear Mr Jain, US SUGAR QUOTA- ZIMBABWE Your letter dated 30 January 2006 refers. The initial declared TRQ made by the USTR in respect of sugar for Zimbabwe was 13 953 metric tonnes raw sugar value (MTRV) for the FY 2006. A further announcement made by the USTR in December allocated a further 3 292 MTRV to Zimbabwe. Of this total tonnage 13 634 MTRV has been exported to the US on MV Ocean Star which sailed from Maputo on 13 January 2006. The balance of the quota (3 611 MTRV) will be co-shipped with outstanding quotas of Swaziland, Mozambique, and South Africa to arrive in the US before 30 September 2006. In the event that the USTR declares further allocations Zimbabwe would be able to ship a further 17 000 MT of raw sugar to the US to arrive before 30 September 2006. Yours sincerely, SJ Frampton General Manager DELL