SUA Commends USDA for Taking Action on Refined Sugar Shortage

Urges Additional Actions to Help U.S. Food and Beverage Manufacturers Deal with Extremely Low Sugar Supply

Washington, D.C. (March 11, 2020) – The Sweetener Users Association (SUA) today issued the following statement praising the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for allowing 200,000 tons of refined sugar from Mexico in an effort to address the sugar shortage American food and beverage manufacturers continue to endure:

SUA commends the USDA for its actions to date to address extreme sugar shortages, including yesterday’s announcement allowing another 200,000 tons of refined sugar from Mexico.

However, given that the USDA’s March sugar supply estimates, also released yesterday, show very low sugar stocks, more needs to be done.

We urge the USDA to take additional immediate action to adequately supply the U.S. market to guarantee enough raw and refined sugar imports to meet domestic needs as we head into the summer season of high demand. An adequate supply of sugar is needed to help ensure American sugar refiners maximize their refining capacity, which affects the amount of sugar they are able to produce each month. Additional refined imports are also needed to ensure that end users are able to obtain sufficient supplies to operate throughout this year.

While the USDA should immediately allow additional raw and refined sugar imports to meet existing demand, reforming the U.S. sugar program, which the Fair Sugar Policy Act (S.2568, H.R.4521) would do, is the long-term answer. America’s food and beverage manufacturers call on all members of the U.S. House and Senate to get behind the Fair Sugar Policy Act.

Media Contact:
Frances Cox
(202) 822-9491
fcox@fratelli.com