CBP Adds Special Quotas 5-9 to its Upland Cotton Quota Instructions

April 17, 2012 by Tim Warren|Customs and Ports

In early January 2012, U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued instructions for the ten weekly Special Import Quota announcements for Upland Cotton that were issued by the USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation. CBP also listed the dates and quantities for each of the ten. In February and March, CBP added weekly Special Quotas 22 - 26, and Special Quotas 1-4. CBP's instructions, with the new Special Quotas 5-9 are summarized below.

Scope. According to information posted by CBP and USDA, 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. USDA also states that future quotas may be established if price conditions warrant.

Chapter 99 HTS nos. Such quotas will be referenced in HTS Chapter 99, Subchapter III, subheading 9903.52.XX, and are currently numbered 9903.52.12 through 9903.52.26, and 9903.52.01 through 9903.52.09.

Entry types. CBP said entry type code 02, 06, 07, 12, 23, 32, 38, or 52 may be used for these special quotas, as applicable.

Quota Periods. CBP states that to be counted under these quotas, cotton must be imported during the period "begin date," purchased by the "buy date" and entered into the United States before the "end date." Note that both CBP and USDA have stated it somewhat differently before.¹

No.²	Begin date	End date	HTS	QTY³	Buy date
12	11/10/2011	05/07/2012	9903.52.12	14,594,057	02/07/2012
13	11/17/2011	05/14/2012	9903.52.13	14,594,057	02/14/2012
14	11/24/2011	05/21/2012	9903.52.14	14,594,057	02/21/2012
15	12/01/2011	05/28/2012	9903.52.15	14,594,057	02/28/2012
16	12/08/2011	06/04/2012	9903.52.16	14,594,057	03/06/2012
17	12/15/2011	06/11/2012	9903.52.17	14,594,057	03/13/2012
18	12/22/2011	06/18/2012	9903.52.18	14,594,057	03/20/2012
19	12/29/2011	06/25/2012	9903.52.19	14,594,057	03/27/2012
20	01/05/2012	07/02/2012	9903.52.20	14,594,057	04/03/2012
21	01/12/2012	07/09/2012	9903.52.21	14,594,057	04/10/2012
22	01/19/2012	07/16/2012	9903.52.22	14,594,057	04/17/2012
23	01/26/2012	07/23/2012	9903.52.23	14,594,057	04/24/2012
24	02/02/2012	07/30/2012	9903.52.24	14,594,057	05/01/2012
25	02/09/2012	08/06/2012	9903.52.25	14,594,057	05/08/2012
26	02/16/2012	08/13/2012	9903.52.26	14,594,057	05/15/2012
1	02/23/2012	08/20/2012	9903.52.01	14,594,057	05/22/2012
2	03/01/2012	08/27/2012	9903.52.02	14,594,057	05/29/2012
3	03/08/2012	09/03/2012	9903.52.03	14,594,057	06/05/2012
4	03/15/2012	09/10/2012	9903.52.04	14,594,057	06/12/2012
5	03/22/2012	09/17/2012	9903.52.05	14,594,057	06/19/2012
6	03/29/2012	09/10/2012	9903.52.06	14,594,057	06/26/2012
7	04/05/2012	10/01/2012	9903.52.07	14,594,057	07/03/2012
8	04/12/2012	10/08/2012	9903.52.08	14,594,057	07/10/2012
9	04/19/2012	10/15/2012	9903.52.09	14,594,057	07/17/2012

(These special quotas are provided for under the authority of P.L. 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.)

¹In 2009, CBP stated in a similar notice that to be counted under one of these quotas, cotton must be imported during the period listed ("begin date" to "end date") and purchased no later than the "buy date". In 2011, USDA stated that the quotas are established on the "begin date", must be purchased by the "buy date", and entered into the U.S. by the "end date".

²Note that USDA numbers quotas 12-16 as 112-116.

³CBP does not list the quantity unit, but it has traditionally been kilograms.

(Search "Upland Cotton" on ITT Online Archives for summaries of the first ten USDA quota announcements. USDA quota announcement No. 22 is available here and No. 23 available here. USDA quota announcement No. 24 is available here and No. 25 available here. USDA quota announcement No. 26 available here. USDA quota announcement No. 1 available here. USDA quota announcement No. 2 available here, No. 3 available here, and No. 4 available here, No. 5 available here, No. 6 available here, No. 7 available here, No. 8 available here, No. 9 available here.)