Organizations representing the U.S. and Colombian poultry industries have announced the first quota auction for sales of U.S. chicken leg quarters to Colombia as part of the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement.
The USA Poultry & Egg Export Council and Colombia’s Federación Nacional de Avicultores have launched a dedicated website to handle all sales transactions for the quota, which is 6,750 metric tons for the remainder of 2012. Bids open at 9 a.m. EDT on October 4, and close on October 5, at 5 p.m. EDT. Quota shipments are allowed to enter Colombia at zero duty, and the shipment period is October 10 through December 31.
TRQ (tariff-rate quota) Certificates will be awarded to the highest bidder(s). Any person or entity incorporated or domiciled, with a legal address, in the U.S. is eligible to bid. The minimum bid quantity is 1 metric ton; the minimum bid price is $44.08/metric ton (i.e., $0.02/pound). Bids must be submitted in dollars and cents per metric ton. Bids should not be submitted in amounts that include fractions of a cent.