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Origin and trade agreements

US import quotas

How US import quotas work: tariff-rate and absolute quotas and tariff preference levels, how CBP fills them, which goods have them and how to check status.

Updated · 12 official sources

A US import quota limits how much of a product can enter in a period, either outright or at a lower duty rate. Tariff-rate quotas let a set quantity in at a reduced rate and charge the full rate after that; absolute quotas stop entries altogether once the limit is reached. CBP administers both but doesn't set them: quotas come from legislation, presidential proclamations and executive orders, and all are written into the HTSUS.

Rules as of 30 October 2026.

What kinds of US import quotas are there?#

US import quotas come in three kinds that CBP administers: tariff-rate quotas (TRQs), absolute quotas and tariff preference levels (TPLs). They differ in what happens when the limit is reached. A TRQ never blocks the goods, it only raises the rate; an absolute quota does block them; a TPL works like a TRQ for textiles under trade agreements.

Kind Within the limit Once the limit is reached
Tariff-rate quota Lower in-quota rate Unlimited entries at the higher over-quota rate
Absolute quota Entry allowed No entries until the next period; goods must be warehoused, exported, destroyed or abandoned
Tariff preference level Preferential rate for qualifying textiles and apparel Entries continue at the column 1 rate and any other restrictions in force

A UK passenger car shows what a TRQ is worth. Within the annual quota of 100,000 UK vehicles, the Section 232 duty is 7.5% on top of the 2.5% regular rate, 10% in total; over the quota the full 25% applies. On a car with a customs value of $50,000, that's $5,000 in quota against $13,750 outside it.

How does CBP fill a quota?#

CBP fills a quota in the order entries are presented in proper form, charging each entry summary's quantity against the limit. On opening day, entries submitted from 12:01 a.m. local port time until 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time all count as presented at 8:30 a.m., and if together they exceed the limit, CBP prorates them.

After opening day, CBP's official quota hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday in every time zone, and an entry presented after 4:30 p.m. counts as presented at 8:30 a.m. the next business day. When a federal holiday falls on a weekend, quota processing stops on the observed weekday. An entry missing a data element CBP needs to charge the quota is rejected for correction and gets a new presentation time when it's resubmitted, which can cost it its place in a filling quota.

Which goods have US import quotas?#

US import quotas cover farm goods, textiles and a few manufactured goods, each set in the HTSUS by the law or proclamation behind it. The quota bulletins CBP published between September and October 2026 give a picture of what is open now:

  • sugar: raw cane, refined and specialty sugar and sugar-containing products, for the year 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2027;
  • beef: an extra 80,000 metric tons for Argentina in 2026, and monthly tranches under the August 2026 proclamation on affordable beef;
  • cocoa powder, mixes and doughs, and condiments and mixed seasonings;
  • passenger vehicles from the UK, in quarterly periods;
  • quartz surface products under the Section 201 safeguard, in quarterly periods from 15 August 2026, at 25% in quota and 50% over;
  • apparel under AGOA and the Haiti HELP program, as tariff preference levels and limits;
  • an absolute quota on fine denier polyester staple fiber entered temporarily under bond, for 23 November 2026 to 22 November 2027.

Many free trade agreements also carry their own TRQs, such as those for dairy and sugar, set out in chapter 98 and the agreements' general notes. The US trade agreements guide covers the agreements.

How do you check a quota's status?#

You check a US quota's status in CBP's weekly Commodity Status Report, which shows how much of each tariff-rate quota and tariff preference level has been used, and in the quota bulletins CBP sends through CSMS. CBP keeps the four most recent weekly reports and historical fill rates on its tariff-rate quota page.

For a specific product, start with its 10-digit HTSUS code from the HS code lookup and check the code's chapter notes for a quota. CBP suggests asking an import specialist at a port, or requesting a binding ruling, when it isn't clear whether goods are quota-class. The landed cost calculator charges the over-quota rate unless you claim the quota, because nobody can know at checkout whether the quota will still be open when the goods are entered.

Common questions#

What is the difference between a tariff-rate quota and an absolute quota?#

A tariff-rate quota lets a set quantity in at a lower rate and any amount above it at the higher rate. An absolute quota allows no entries at all once it fills, until the next quota period.

What happens if a quota fills before my goods arrive?#

Under a tariff-rate quota, the goods enter at the over-quota rate. Under an absolute quota, they must wait in a bonded warehouse for the next period, or be exported, destroyed or abandoned.

Does CBP decide quota amounts?#

No. CBP administers and enforces quotas, but it has no authority to create or change them. The limits come from legislation, proclamations and executive orders.

Sources#