WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Sept. 12 set 2013-14 raw and refined sugar import tariff-rate-quotas (T.R.Q.) at minimum levels to meet World Trade Organization commitments.

The U.S.D.A. set the 2013-14 (fiscal 2014) raw cane sugar T.R.Q. at 1,231,497 short tons, raw value, which is the minimum under W.T.O. commitments. Raw cane sugar imports must be accompanied by a certificate of quota eligibility and may enter the United States until Sept. 30, 2014, the U.S.D.A. said. The T.R.Q. is allocated among supplying countries and customs areas by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

The refined sugar T.R.Q. was set at 134,482 tons, which includes 112,057 tons reserved for importation of specialty sugars as defined by the U.S.T.R. The total refined sugar T.R.Q. includes 24,251 tons of W.T.O. commitments, of which 1,825 tons is reserved for specialty sugar. The specialty sugar T.R.Q. is a first-come, first-served basis and is permitted to arrive in five tranches to allow orderly marketing throughout the year, the U.S.D.A. said.

The initial T.R.Q. typically is set at the W.T.O. minimum. The 2013-14 sugar marketing year begins Oct. 1.