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Title 7 — AgricultureRelease 119-73

§1359cc Establishment of flexible marketing allotments

Title 7 › Chapter CHAPTER 35— - AGRICULTURAL ADJUSTMENT ACT OF 1938 › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - LOANS, PARITY PAYMENTS, CONSUMER SAFEGUARDS, MARKETING QUOTAS, AND MARKETING CERTIFICATES › Part Part B— - Marketing Quotas › Subpart subpart vii— - flexible marketing allotments for sugar › § 1359cc

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary must set flexible yearly sugar marketing allotments whenever required under section 1359bb(b). The total amount of sugar allowed for the year must be large enough to keep raw and refined sugar prices above forfeiture levels so sugar is not forfeited to the Commodity Credit Corporation, and it cannot be less than 85 percent of the estimated sugar needed for domestic human consumption. That total is split so 54.35 percent is for beet sugar and 45.65 percent is for cane sugar. Cane allotments can only be filled with sugar processed from domestically grown sugarcane. Beet allotments can only be filled with sugar processed from sugar beets or in-process beet sugar. The cane allotment is then divided among U.S. states that grow cane, after a hearing if affected growers or processors ask for one. Before other states get cane allotments, 325,000 short tons (raw value) go to offshore states, and that offshore share is split among those states using past marketings, processors’ ability to market, and past processings (specific multi-year averages from 1996–2000 and 1998–2000). The mainland cane allotment uses similar factors and specific year ranges (1991–2000 and 1996–2000). State cane allotments generally must be filled only with cane grown in that state. The Secretary must adjust allotments up or down to reflect changes in consumption, stocks, production, or imports, but never below 85 percent of estimated domestic consumption. When allotments change, processor allocations change by the same percentage, except priority is given to beet processors with available sugar on upward adjustments. If a processor sells more than a reduced allocation in a year, its next-year allocation is cut by the excess.

Full Legal Text

Title 7, §1359cc

Agriculture — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary shall establish flexible marketing allotments for sugar for any crop year in which the allotments are required under section 1359bb(b) of this title in accordance with this section.
(b)(1)The Secretary shall establish the overall quantity of sugar to be allotted for the crop year (referred to in this subpart as the “overall allotment quantity”) at a level that is—
(A)sufficient to maintain raw and refined sugar prices above forfeiture levels to avoid forfeiture of sugar to the Commodity Credit Corporation; but
(B)not less than a quantity equal to 85 percent of the estimated quantity of sugar for domestic human consumption for the crop year.
(2)Subject to paragraph (1), the Secretary shall adjust the overall allotment quantity to maintain—
(A)raw and refined sugar prices above forfeiture levels to avoid the forfeiture of sugar to the Commodity Credit Corporation; and
(B)adequate supplies of raw and refined sugar in the domestic market.
(c)The overall allotment quantity for the crop year shall be allotted between—
(1)sugar derived from sugar beets by establishing a marketing allotment for a crop year at a quantity equal to the product of multiplying the overall allotment quantity for the crop year by 54.35 percent; and
(2)sugar derived from sugarcane by establishing a marketing allotment for a crop year at a quantity equal to the product of multiplying the overall allotment quantity for the crop year by 45.65 percent.
(d)(1)Each marketing allotment for cane sugar established under this section may only be filled with sugar processed from domestically grown sugarcane.
(2)Each marketing allotment for beet sugar established under this section may only be filled with sugar domestically processed from sugar beets or in-process beet sugar.
(e)(1)The allotment for sugar derived from sugarcane shall be further allotted, among the States in the United States in which sugarcane is produced, after a hearing (if requested by the affected sugarcane processors and growers) and on such notice as the Secretary by regulation may prescribe, in a fair and equitable manner as provided in this subsection and section 1359dd(b)(1)(D) of this title.
(2)(A)Prior to the allotment of sugar derived from sugarcane to any other State, 325,000 short tons, raw value shall be allotted to the offshore States.
(B)The collective offshore State allotment provided for under subparagraph (A) shall be further allotted among the offshore States in which sugarcane is produced, after a hearing (if requested by the affected sugarcane processors and growers) and on such notice as the Secretary by regulation may prescribe, in a fair and equitable manner on the basis of—
(i)past marketings of sugar, based on the average of the 2 highest years of production of raw cane sugar from the 1996 through 2000 crops;
(ii)the ability of processors to market the sugar covered under the allotments for the crop year; and
(iii)past processings of sugar from sugarcane, based on the 3-year average of the 1998 through 2000 crop years.
(3)The allotment for sugar derived from sugarcane, less the amount provided for under paragraph (2), shall be allotted among the mainland States in the United States in which sugarcane is produced, after a hearing (if requested by the affected sugarcane processors and growers) and on such notice as the Secretary by regulation may prescribe, in a fair and equitable manner on the basis of—
(A)past marketings of sugar, based on the average of the 2 highest years of production of raw cane sugar from the 1996 through 2000 crops;
(B)the ability of processors to market the sugar covered under the allotments for the crop year; and
(C)past processings of sugar from sugarcane, based on the 3 crop years with the greatest processings (in the mainland States collectively) during the 1991 through 2000 crop years.
(f)Except as provided in section 1359ee of this title, a State cane sugar allotment established under subsection (e) for a crop year may be filled only with sugar processed from sugarcane grown in the State covered by the allotment.
(g)(1)(A)Subject to subparagraph (B), the Secretary shall, based on reestimates under section 1359bb(a)(3) of this title, adjust upward or downward marketing allotments in a fair and equitable manner, as the Secretary determines appropriate, to reflect changes in estimated sugar consumption, stocks, production, or imports.
(B)In carrying out subparagraph (A), the Secretary may not reduce the overall allotment quantity to a quantity of less than 85 percent of the estimated quantity of sugar for domestic human consumption for the crop year.
(2)(A)Except as provided in subparagraph (B), in the case of any increase or decrease in an allotment, each allocation to a processor of the allotment under section 1359dd of this title, and each proportionate share established with respect to the allotment under section 1359ff(c) of this title, shall be increased or decreased by the same percentage that the allotment is increased or decreased.
(B)If the Secretary makes an upward adjustment under paragraph (1)(A), in adjusting allocations among beet sugar processors, the Secretary shall give priority to beet sugar processors with available sugar.
(3)Whenever a marketing allotment for a crop year is required to be reduced during the crop year under this subsection, if, at the time of the reduction, the quantity of sugar marketed exceeds the processor’s reduced allocation, the allocation of an allotment next established for the processor shall be reduced by the quantity of the excess sugar marketed.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Pub. L. 110–234 and Pub. L. 110–246 made identical

Amendments

to this section. The

Amendments

by Pub. L. 110–234 were repealed by section 4(a) of Pub. L. 110–246.

Prior Provisions

A prior section 1359cc, act Feb. 16, 1938, ch. 30, title III, § 359c, as added Pub. L. 101–624, title IX, § 902, Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 3481; amended Pub. L. 102–237, title I, § 111(e), Dec. 13, 1991, 105 Stat. 1832, related to establishment of marketing allotments, prior to the general amendment of this subpart by Pub. L. 107–171.

Amendments

2025—Subsec. (g)(2). Pub. L. 119–21 designated existing provisions as subpar. (A), inserted heading, substituted “Except as provided in subparagraph (B), in the case” for “In the case”, and added subpar. (B). 2008—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 110–246, § 1403(c)(1), added subsec. (b) and struck out former subsec. (b) which related to: in par. (1), establishment of the overall allotment quantity by deducting from the sum of the estimated sugar consumption and reasonable carryover stocks for the crop year 1,532,000 short tons, raw value, and carry-in stocks of sugar, including sugar in Commodity Credit Corporation inventory; and in par. (2), adjustment of overall allotment quantity to avoid the forfeiture of sugar to the Commodity Credit Corporation. Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 110–246, § 1403(c)(2), inserted “or in-process beet sugar” before period at end. Subsec. (g)(1). Pub. L. 110–246, § 1403(c)(3), substituted “Adjustments” for “In general” in par. heading, designated existing provisions as subpar. (A), inserted subpar. heading, substituted “Subject to subparagraph (B), the Secretary” for “The Secretary”, and added subpar. (B). Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 110–246, § 1403(c)(4), struck out subsec. (h). Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “Whenever the Secretary estimates or reestimates under section 1359bb(a) of this title, or has reason to believe, that imports of sugars, syrups or molasses for human consumption or to be used for the extraction of sugar for human consumption, whether under a tariff-rate quota or in excess or outside of a tariff-rate quota, will exceed 1,532,000 short tons (raw value equivalent) (excluding any imports attributable to reassignment under paragraph (1)(D) or (2)(C) of section 1359ee(b) of this title), and that the imports would lead to a reduction of the overall allotment quantity, the Secretary shall suspend the marketing allotments established under this section until such time as the imports have been restricted, eliminated, or reduced to or below the level of 1,532,000 short tons (raw value equivalent).”

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2008 AmendmentAmendment of this section and repeal of Pub. L. 110–234 by Pub. L. 110–246 effective May 22, 2008, the date of enactment of Pub. L. 110–234, see section 4 of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as an

Effective Date

note under section 8701 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

7 U.S.C. § 1359cc

Title 7 — Agriculture

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73