USDA announces special import quota No 101 for upland cotton

The Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation announced a special import quota for upland cotton that permits importation of a quantity of upland cotton equal to one week’s domestic mill use. The quota will be established on August 26, 2010, allowing importation of 14,717,826 kilograms (67,598 bales) of upland cotton.

This action is being carried out under the authority of PL 110-246, enacted June 18, 2008, which requires that a special import quota be determined and announced immediately if, for any consecutive 4-week period, the U.S. Far East price exceeds the prevailing world market price. This condition was met during the consecutive 4-week period ending.

Quota number 101 will be established as of August 26, 2010, and will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than November 23, 2010, and entered into the U.S. not later than February 21, 2011. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally-adjusted average rate for the period April 2010 through June 2010, the most recent three months for which data are available.

Announced quota is established under Presidential Proclamation 6301 dated June 7, 1991, and Presidential Proclamation 6948 dated Oct. 29, 1996, and will be referenced as the Secretary of Agriculture’s Special Cotton Import Quota Announcement Number 101, in chapter 99, subchapter III, subheading 9903.52.101 of the HTS.

The quota is not divided by staple length or by country of origin, and does not apply to Extra Long Staple (ELS) cotton. The quota identifies a quantity of imports that is not subject to the over quota tariff rate of a tariff rate quota. The quota does not affect existing tariff rates or phytosanitary regulations. Future quotas, in addition to the quantity announced, will be established if price conditions warrant.

United States Department of Agriculture