Congress Can Help All Stakeholders With Sugar Policy Reform
Washington, D.C. (March 22, 2023) – The Sweetener Users Association (SUA) today released a new white paper describing how U.S. sugar policy encourages imports of sugar-containing products (SCPs) that would otherwise be produced in the United States, leading to the export of good American jobs and fewer sales for American sugar growers and processors.
The paper shows that net SCP imports have increased every year between fiscal year (FY) 2013/14 and FY 2021/22, with net imports growing 124 percent over that time, spurred by persistently short supplies and high prices of sugar in the U.S. market, mostly as a result of deliberate U.S. policies. The amount of sugar in net SCP imports in FY 2021/22 was equivalent to 12 percent of domestic sales in that same year, a benefit growers and processors could reap if not for the U.S. sugar program.
“The restrictions imposed by the U.S. sugar program incentivize imports of SCPs, resulting in the loss of American jobs and less domestic sales of sugar for growers and producers,” explained SUA President Rick Pasco.
But for the dysfunctional policy prescriptions imposed by the federal sugar program, American growers and processors could be better off by encouraging jobs to remain in the United States.
“Congress now has the chance to rework the U.S. sugar program and address this harmful, U.S.-job-destroying policy as it works to reauthorize the farm bill in 2023,” concluded Pasco.
Media Contact:
Kate Klimaszewski
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