Sugar Import Licensing Program Information Collection Under OMB Review

Regs.gov: Department of Agriculture

Published March 30th, 2026

Detected April 1st, 2026

Summary

The Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service has submitted an information collection requirement to OMB for review under the Paperwork Reduction Act. The collection pertains to the sugar import licensing program under 7 CFR part 1530, which requires quarterly reporting from 301 respondents to verify that world-priced sugar imports are exported rather than diverted to the domestic market. The total estimated burden is 309 hours.

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What changed

The USDA has submitted its sugar import licensing information collection (OMB Control No. 0551-0015) to OMB for review under the Paperwork Reduction Act. The program at 7 CFR part 1530 authorizes FAS to issue import licenses for raw cane sugar exempt from tariff-rate quotas, conditioned on exports of equivalent quantities as refined sugar. Respondents must submit quarterly reports documenting compliance with export requirements. No new obligations are created; this notice announces an existing collection requirement.

Affected parties—including businesses importing sugar under the TRQ—may submit comments on the information collection burden by April 30, 2026 via www.reginfo.gov. The collection displays OMB Control No. 0551-0015. Regulated entities with concerns about the burden of quarterly reporting requirements should use this opportunity to provide input.

Source document (simplified)

Content

The Department of Agriculture has submitted the following information collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. Comments are requested regarding; whether the collection of
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will
have practical utility; the accuracy of the agency's estimate of burden including the validity of the methodology and assumptions
used; ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to minimize the burden
of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Comments regarding this information collection received by April 30, 2026 will be considered. Written comments and recommendations
for the proposed information collection should be submitted within 30 days of the publication of this notice on the following
website www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting “Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments” or by using
the search function.

An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless the collection of information displays a currently
valid OMB control number and the agency informs potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information that
such persons are not required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control
number.

Foreign Agricultural Service

Title: Sugar Imported for Exports as Refined Sugar, as a Sugar-Containing Product, or Used in Production of Certain Polyhydric Alcohols.

OMB Control Number: 0551-0015.

Summary of Collection: The regulation at 7 CFR part 1530 authorizes the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) to issue import licenses to enter raw
cane sugar exempt from the tariff-rate quota (TRQ) for the raw cane sugar imports and related requirements on the condition
that an equivalent quantity of refined sugar be: (1) exported as refined sugar; (2) exported as an ingredient in sugar containing
products; or (3) used in production of certain polyhydric alcohols. The information requirements set forth in the regulation
are necessary to enable FAS to administer the licensing program in full compliance with the regulation and to ensure that
licensed imports do not enter the commercial sugar market in circumvention of the TRQ for raw cane sugar.

Need and Use of the Information: FAS will collect information to verify that the world-priced sugar is in fact exported and not diverted onto the domestic
market, thereby undermining the objectives of politically sensitive U.S. sugar policies. This collection enables USDA to monitor
participants to ensure compliance with program parameters. Without the collection, there would be an increased opportunity
to divert sugar onto the domestic market.

Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit.

Number of Respondents: 301.

Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting; Quarterly.

Total Burden Hours: 309.

Rachelle Ragland-Greene, Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer. [FR Doc. 2026-06144 Filed 3-30-26; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410-10-P