News

CBP Opens 2027 Cotton and Quartz Surface Product Quotas

Published: August 13, 2026 · 4 min read

Key Points

CBP published four quota bulletins on August 12, 2026, covering three cotton commodity quotas under HTSUS Chapter 52 and one quartz surface products quota under Chapters 68 and 70.
The 2027 quota period for cotton card strips (AUSN 9) and cotton not carded or combed (AUSN 5) opens Monday, September 21, 2026, with a quota period running September 20, 2026 through September 19, 2027.
The 2027 quota period for fibers of cotton processed but not spun (AUSN 10) opens Friday, September 11, 2026, running September 11, 2026 through September 10, 2027.
The 2027 quartz surface products quota opens under Presidential Proclamation 11051 and covers HTSUS Chapters 68 and 70 subheadings plus Chapter 99 Additional U.S. Note 41.
Entries submitted after 12:01 a.m. local port time on opening day are subject to quota; timing of filing is critical to securing in-quota treatment.

CBP released four quota bulletins on August 12, 2026, announcing the opening of 2027 tariff-rate quota periods for three cotton commodities covered by HTSUS Chapter 52 Additional United States Notes and for quartz surface products covered by HTSUS Chapters 68 and 70. Importers of these commodities must file entries within the precise windows specified in each bulletin to secure in-quota duty rates. The links in this article go to the primary documents: the CBP quota bulletins and the official tariff schedule pages themselves. Read the source.

What changed

On August 12, 2026, CBP published four quota bulletins through its Cargo Systems Messaging Service (CSMS), setting out the opening dates, quota periods, and entry-timing rules for the 2027 quota year across three Chapter 52 cotton commodities and the quartz surface products safeguard quota administered under Presidential Proclamation 11051. These bulletins define when the first entries may be filed and how simultaneous entries will be handled at quota opening.

Affected commodities and HTSUS coverage

The four bulletins cover the following commodities:

Cotton not carded or combed, classified under HTSUS Chapter 52, Additional United States Note (AUSN) 5. See Quota Bulletin 26-401.
Cotton card strips, the product of any country or area including the United States, classified under HTSUS Chapter 52, AUSN 9. See Quota Bulletin 26-405.
Fibers of cotton processed but not spun, classified under HTSUS Chapter 52, AUSN 10. See Quota Bulletin 26-406.
Quartz surface products, classified under HTSUS Chapters 68 and 70 subheadings, Chapter 99 Additional U.S. Note 41, and governed by Presidential Proclamation 11051. See Quota Bulletin 26-601.

Importers should confirm the precise HTSUS subheadings for each commodity against the current Harmonized Tariff Schedule and the applicable AUSN or Chapter 99 note before filing.

Quota period dates and opening dates

Opening dates and quota periods differ by commodity:

Cotton not carded or combed (AUSN 5): Quota period September 20, 2026 through September 19, 2027. Opening date: Monday, September 21, 2026.
Cotton card strips (AUSN 9): Quota period September 20, 2026 through September 19, 2027. Opening date: Monday, September 21, 2026.
Fibers of cotton processed but not spun (AUSN 10): Quota period September 11, 2026 through September 10, 2027. Opening date: Friday, September 11, 2026.
Quartz surface products: Full opening-date details are in Quota Bulletin 26-601 on CBP.gov.

Filing timing rules

For the cotton quotas, CBP specifies that all entries submitted after 12:01 a.m. local port time on the opening date are subject to quota controls. Entries filed simultaneously at opening are typically subject to proration if the quota fills on the first day. Brokers should review each bulletin's simultaneous-filing provisions carefully, as pro-rata treatment can significantly affect the quantity actually admitted at the in-quota rate. Late or misfiled entries will be subject to over-quota (Most Favored Nation) duty rates.

Required actions for importers, brokers, and compliance teams

Confirm your commodity's HTSUS classification and the applicable AUSN or Chapter 99 note against the current HTSUS before the quota opens.
Set calendar alerts for September 11, 2026 (AUSN 10 opening) and September 21, 2026 (AUSN 5 and AUSN 9 openings) and coordinate ACE filings to meet the 12:01 a.m. local port time threshold.
Review each CBP quota bulletin for simultaneous-entry proration rules: QB 26-401, QB 26-405, QB 26-406, and QB 26-601.
For quartz surface products, verify classification under Chapters 68 and 70 and confirm applicability of Chapter 99 Additional U.S. Note 41 and Presidential Proclamation 11051 before the quota period opens.

Key references

Recovering IEEPA tariff refunds? Get started with CustomsGenius to streamline your refund process.

About the Author

Franz Brotzen, CustomsGenius CEO & Founder. Franz is a published researcher on U.S. trade policy. He has worked at think tanks in Washington DC and Tokyo, where his academic publications focussed on tariffs and legal compliance. Franz received his JD from Harvard Law School.