VZCZCXRO2469
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHAB #1133 3130727
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 090727Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY ABIDJAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3723
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC

UNCLAS ABIDJAN 001133 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS TO USTR C.HAMILTON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR ETRD ECON IV
SUBJECT: COTE D'IVOIRE DECLINES TO TAKE 2007 U.S. SUGAR 
QUOTA 
 
REF: SECSTATE 128060 
 
¶1.  (U)  Citing a temporary deficit associated with the 
political crisis affecting the country since 2002, the 
Ivorian Association of Sugar Industries informed Embassy 
Abidjan on October 19 that Cote d'Ivoire will be unable to 
guarantee sugar deliveries to the U.S. under the quota 
allocated by the U.S. government (reftel).  The Association 
estimates this deficit will be contained to the 2007-2008 
commercial year. 
 
¶2.  (U)  The Ivorian Sugar Association, comprised of Sucaf 
and Sucrivoire (both formed in the 1997 privatization of the 
state sugar company and the latter owned by French company 
SIFCOM, owner of the largest brewing company in Cote 
d'Ivoire) informed Embassy Abidjan that it is busy combating 
the illegal entry of sugar into the Ivorian market.  In 2004, 
two years into the present political crisis, the government 
effectively established a ceiling on sugar imports, but has 
found it difficult to enforce its limits due to low prices of 
competing imports and progressively weaker competitivity 
among Ivorian producers. 
 
¶3.  (U)  Sugar in Cote d'Ivoire is produced exclusively in 
the northern part of the country, which has been effectively 
cut off from banking services and most other economic support 
infrastructure since 2002. 
NESBITT