Federal Register #2026-17953

USDA FAS Notice: 2026 WTO Agricultural Safeguard Trigger Levels and 2027 Dairy Import License Fees

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) has released updated quantity-based safeguard trigger levels for a wide range of agricultural imports, as well as information on dairy import license fees. - Government Buyer: - U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) - Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) - Products/Services Requested: - Dairy import licenses for the 2027 tariff-rate quota year ($325 fee per license) - Updated safeguard trigger levels for 2026 covering: - Beef (608,799 metric tons) - Mutton (4,976 metric tons) - Dairy products (cream, evaporated/condensed milk, nonfat dry milk, dried whole milk, dried cream, dried whey/buttermilk, butter, butteroil, chocolate crumb, lowfat chocolate crumb, animal feed containing milk, ice cream, dairy mixtures, infant formula containing oligosaccharides, blue cheese, cheddar cheese, American-type cheese, Edam/Gouda cheese, Italian-type cheese, Swiss/Emmenthaler cheese, Gruyere process cheese, cheese and substitutes, lowfat cheese) - Peanut butter/paste, peanuts - Sugar (raw cane, refined sugars and syrups, articles over 65% sugar, articles over 10% sugar, blended syrups, sweetened cocoa powder, mixes and doughs, mixed condiments and seasonings) - Cotton (short staple, harsh/rough, extra long staple, medium staple, cotton waste, cotton processed but not spun) - Unique/Notable Requirements: - Safeguard trigger levels are regulatory thresholds for import volumes; exceeding these may result in additional duties under WTO rules - Dairy import licenses are required for specified tariff-rate quota products - No specific OEMs or commercial vendors are named; the notice is regulatory, not a procurement solicitation - Period of Performance: - Trigger levels apply for the 2026 calendar year, with some products covering different 12-month periods - Dairy import license fees apply for the 2027 quota year - Regulatory Framework: - Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) - Uruguay Round Agreements Act - WTO Agreement on Agriculture

Description

This notice lists the updated quantity-based trigger levels for products which may be subject to additional import duties under the safeguard provisions of the WTO Agreement on Agriculture. It includes the relevant period applicable for the trigger levels on each of the listed products. The notice is issued by the Foreign Agricultural Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and is applicable on September 2, 2026. The document provides detailed trigger levels for various agricultural products for the year 2026.

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