WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture on July 2 said it raised the 2009-10 tariff rate quota (T.R.Q.) by 300,000 short tons, raw value to offset an expected shortfall of the same amount from domestic cane sugar producers.

“This action is being taken after a determination that additional supplies of raw cane sugar are required in the U.S. market,” the U.S.D.A. said in the Federal Register notice that appeared July 6.

“The FY 2010 cane sector allotment and cane state allotments are larger than can be fulfilled by domestically produced cane sugar,” the U.S.D.A. said. In reassigning the domestic cane allotments, the U.S.D.A. reduced the domestic allotment by the same amount as it increased the T.R.Q.

The increase raised the 2009-10 T.R.Q. to 1,731,497 tons, which must be imported by Sept. 30, 2010. The T.R.Q. initially was set at 1,231,497, tons on Sept. 25, 2009. The U.S.D.A. previously raised the T.R.Q. by 200,000 tons on April 27, 2010, after which both sugar users and producers requested additional imports.