(a) In general. To apply for any license, a person shall have:

(1) A business office, and be doing business, in the United States, and

(2) An agent in the United States for service of process, and

(3) An email address to be used for correspondence regarding licensing activities and reports.

The licensee is responsible to continuously maintain a valid email address in DAIRIES for use in communicating with the Licensing Authority.

(b) Eligibility for 2016 and subsequent quota years.

(1) Historical licenses (Appendix 1). A person issued a historical license for an article for the current quota year may apply for a historical license (Appendix 1) for the next quota year for the same article from the same country, if such person was, during the 12-month period ending August 31 prior to the quota year, either:

(i) Where the article is cheese or cheese product,

(A) The owner of and importer of record for at least three separate commercial entries of cheese or cheese products totaling not less than 57,000 kilograms net weight, each of the three entries not less than 2,000 kilograms net weight;

(B) The owner of and importer of record for at least eight separate commercial entries of cheese or cheese products, from at least eight separate shipments, totaling not less than 19,000 kilograms net weight, each of the eight entries not less than 450 kilograms net weight, with a minimum of two entries in each of at least three quarters during that period; or

(C) The owner or operator of a plant listed in Section II or listed in Section I as a processor of cheese of the most current issue of “Dairy Plants Surveyed and Approved for USDA Grading Service” and had processed or packaged at least 450,000 kilograms of cheese or cheese products in its own plant in the United States; or

(ii) Where the article is not cheese or cheese product,

(A) The owner of and importer of record for at least three separate commercial entries of dairy products totaling not less than 57,000 kilograms net weight, each of the three entries not less than 2,000 kilograms net weight;

(B) The owner of and importer of record for at least eight separate commercial entries of dairy products, from at least eight separate shipments, totaling not less than 19,000 kilograms net weight, each of the eight entries not less than 450 kilograms net weight, with a minimum of two entries in each of at least three quarters during that period;

(C) The owner or operator of a plant listed in the most current issue of “Dairy Plants Surveyed and Approved for USDA Grading Service” and had manufactured, processed or packaged at least 450,000 kilograms of dairy products in its own plant in the United States; or

(D) The exporter of dairy products in the quantities and number of shipments required under (A) or (B) above.

(2) Nonhistorical licenses for cheese or cheese products (Appendix 2). A person may annually apply for a nonhistorical license for cheese or cheese products (Appendix 2) if such person meets the requirements of paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section.

(3) Nonhistorical licenses for articles other than cheese or cheese products (Appendix 2). A person may annually apply for a nonhistorical license for articles other than cheese or cheese products (Appendix 2) if such person meets the requirements of paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section.

(4) Designated license (Appendix 3). A designated license may be issued to a person who has applied for a license, has met the requirements of paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section, and is designated by the government of a country for such license according to §6.25(d).

(c) Exceptions.

(1) A licensee that fails in a quota year to enter at least 85 percent of the amount of an article permitted under a license shall not be eligible to receive a license for the same article from the same country for the next quota year. For the purpose of this paragraph, the amount of an article permitted under the license will exclude any amounts surrendered pursuant to §6.26(a), but will include any additional allocations received pursuant to §6.26(b).

(2) Paragraph (c)(1) of this section will not apply where the licensee demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Licensing Authority that the failure resulted from breach by a carrier of its contract of carriage, breach by a supplier of its contract to supply the article, act of God or force majeure.

(3) Paragraph (c)(1) of this section may not apply in the case of historical or nonhistorical licenses, where the licensee demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Licensing Authority that the country specified on the license maintains or permits an export monopoly to control the dairy articles concerned and the licensee petitions the Licensing Authority to waive this requirement. The licensee shall submit evidence that the country maintains an export monopoly as defined in this paragraph. For the purposes of this paragraph “export monopoly” means a privilege vested in one or more persons consisting of the exclusive right to carry on the exportation of any article of dairy products from a country to the United States.

(4) The Licensing Authority will not issue a nonhistorical license (Appendix 2) for an article from a country during a quota year to an applicant who is affiliated with another applicant to whom the Licensing Authority is issuing a non-historical license for the same article from the same country for that quota year. Further, the Licensing Authority will not issue a nonhistorical license for butter to an applicant who is affiliated with another applicant to whom the Licensing Authority is issuing a historical butter license of 57,000 kilograms or greater. For the purpose of this paragraph, an applicant will be deemed affiliated with another applicant if:

(i) The applicant is the spouse, brother, sister, parent, child or grandchild of such other applicant;

(ii) The applicant is the spouse, brother, sister, parent, child or grandchild of an individual who owns or controls such other applicant;

(iii) The applicant is owned or controlled by the spouse, brother, sister, parent, child or grandchild of an individual who owns or controls such other applicant.

(iv) Both applicants are 5 percent or more owned or directly or indirectly controlled, by the same person;

(v) The applicant, or a person who owns or controls the applicant, benefits from a trust that controls such other applicant.

(5) The Licensing Authority will not issue a nonhistorical license (Appendix 2) for an article from a country during a quota year to an applicant who is associated with another applicant to whom the Licensing Authority is issuing a nonhistorical license for the same article from the same country for that quota year. Further, the Licensing Authority will not issue a nonhistorical license for butter to an applicant who is associated with another applicant to whom the Licensing Authority is issuing a historical butter license for 57,000 kilograms or greater. For the purpose of this paragraph, an applicant will be deemed associated with another applicant if:

(i) The applicant is an employee of, or is controlled by an employee of, such other applicant;

(ii) The applicant manages or is managed by such other applicant, or economically benefits, directly or indirectly, from the use of the license issued to such other applicant.

(6) The Licensing Authority will not issue a nonhistorical license for an article from a country during a quota year, for which the applicant receives a designated license.

[80 FR 44254, July 27, 2015]