Guidance

Notice to Traders 15/25 - Imports of Sugar under Statutory Instrument 2020 No. 1432

Published 25 February 2025

Introduction

This notice is to inform you of the sugar import quotas. Details of the quotas and quantities available are shown at Annex 1.

Licence applications

You may submit your application for a licence between 1 March 2025 and 5pm on 7 March 2025.

It is your responsibility to ensure that your application and all supporting documentation is correct at the time of submission.

Note: We will reject any applications, securities or proof of trade received after 5pm on 7 March 2025.

You must submit your licence applications using an AGRIM import licence application form. We advise you to use the latest version of the application form. You can submit your licence application by either post or email. The email address for licence applications is trader@rpa.gov.uk

Your application must include:

• in box 20, ‘Statutory Instrument 2020 No. 1432’ and the relevant Quota Order number

Proof of Trade – order numbers 05.4318, 05.4320, 05.4321, 05.4326, 05.4327

If this is your first application of the quota year you must provide evidence to prove that you have imported at least 25 tonnes of sugar during:

• the 12-month period ending two months before the first application can be submitted for the quota year (1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024)
• the 12-month period immediately before that (1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023)

You must also be established, and registered for VAT, in the UK.

Proof of Trade – order number 05.4324 (Albania)

If this is your first application of the quota year you must provide evidence to prove that you have imported at least 25 tonnes of sugar during:

• the 12-month period ending two months before the first application can be submitted for the quota year (17 September 2023 to 16 September 2024)

• the 12-month period immediately before that (17 September 2022 to 16 September 2023)

You must also be established, and registered for VAT, in the UK.

Proof of trade can be submitted on a spreadsheet detailing the following:

• entry number
• date of entry
• CN code of the product imported
• quantity imported
• licence number (if applicable)

Licence security

Your licence application must be accompanied by a security as detailed in Annex 1.  

Licence validity

Your licence will be valid from 1 April 2025 until the end of the 2024/2025 quota year, 30 September 2025.

However, licences under order number 05.4324 (Albania) will be valid from 1 April 2025 until the end of the 2025 quota year, 31 December 2025.

Export certificate

For imports under tariff rate quota order number 05.4318 the goods must be accompanied by an export certificate issued by the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services in Brazil, certifying that the goods originate from Brazil.

This requirement came into effect from 1 October 2024

Authority

You can find details of the arrangements in Statutory Instrument 2020/1432.

You can access Statutory Instruments electronically by visiting the UK’s Legislation website. We are not responsible for the accuracy or completeness of this website. Whilst every care has been taken in producing this guidance, the Statutory Instrument as published is definitive.

Questions

If you have any questions about this notice, please contact the Trader team as follows:

• 03300 416500 (Option 1)
• email us at trader@rpa.gov.uk
• or by post at:

Import licencing Team
Rural Payments Agency
Lancaster House
Hampshire Court
Newcastle Business Park
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE4 7YH

Annex 1

Sugar under CN Code 1701 1310 or 1701 1410 imported at a reduced rate of duty as follows:

Country of Origin	Order Number	Quantity available (kg)
Brazil	05.4318	46,571,000
Countries other than Member States of the European Union	05.4320	31,416,000

For this quota (CN Code 1701 1310 or 1701 1410):

• for order number 05.4318, box 8 of your application must state the country of origin of the product and you must select this as ‘Yes’. Licences will carry an obligation to import from the country stated
• you must lodge a security of £20 per tonne -box 20 of your application must contain:

‘Order Number 05.43**’

Sugar under CN Code 1701 imported at a zero rate of duty as follows:

Country of Origin	Order Number	Quantity available (kg)
India	05.4321	4,159,000

For this quota (CN Code 1701):

• you must ensure that you can obtain the required export documentation from the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority [APEDA] in India
• you must lodge a security of £20 per tonne
• box 8 of your application must state the country of origin of the product and you must select this as ‘Yes’. Licences will carry an obligation to import from the country stated
• box 20 of your application must contain:

‘Order Number 05.4321’

Sugar under CN Codes 1701 and 1702 imported with a reduced rate of duty as follows:

Country of Origin	Order number	Quantity available (kg)
Albania	05.4324	136,000
Serbia	05.4326	24,652,000
Northern Macedonia	05.4327	953,000

For this quota (CN Codes 1701 and 1702):

• you must lodge security of £17 tonne
• box 8 of your application must state the country of origin of the product and you must select this as ‘Yes’.  Licences will carry an obligation to import from the country stated
• box 20 of your application must contain:

‘Order Number 05.43**’.

Annex 2

Checklist for your reference prior to submission of a sugar import licence application

Presenting a correct application will assist us in processing your quota import licence.

Before submitting your application, check that the following details are correct:

• is the quota order number correct for the commodity code and country, which you have applied for?
• check the rate of security used is correct
• does the security amount calculated cover the quantity applied for?
• is it the correct description against the required commodity (CN) code?
• has your proof of trade and a valid VAT certificate been supplied / submitted for the current quota year?
• is the form signed and dated by an authorised individual?