SUA Submission to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative Re: Request for Comments on Negotiating Objectives Regarding Modernization of the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico

Letters

These written comments are submitted on behalf of the Sweetener Users Association (SUA) in response to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) request for comments on “matters relevant to the modernization of [the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)] in order to inform the development of U.S. negotiating positions.” SUA commends USTR for…

SUA Statement on U.S.-Mexico Sugar Agreement, U.S. Sugar Lobby’s ‘Loophole’ Claim

Press Releases

Washington, DC (June 7, 2017) – The Sweetener Users Association (SUA) today issued the following statement with respect to modifications to the U.S.-Mexico sugar suspension agreements: “The modifications to the U.S.-Mexico suspension agreements announced yesterday will make two bad agreements far worse. Through what amounts to a stealth price support increase, the modifications will further…

Bipartisan Letter from 10 Members of the U.S. Senate to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross Re: U.S.-Mexico Suspension Agreements

Letters

We write today about the ongoing negotiations with Mexico regarding the antidumping and countervailing duty cases against Mexican sugar imports. As Senators who represent states with a large presence of food and beverage manufacturers, we are concerned that any trade renegotiation will increase sugar prices in the United States and hurt American consumers. It is…

Bipartisan Letter from 51 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross Re: U.S.-Mexico Suspension Agreements

Letters

On May 1, the Department of Commerce declared that after reaching “an impasse” in talks with Mexico on sugar trade disputes, the U.S. government has decided to “resume the collection of antidumping (AD) and countervailing duties (CVD) on sugar imports on June 5, 2017, unless an agreement is reached.” We write to you to express…

May 2017 Sugar and Sweeteners Outlook

SUA Members

The May World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) reduced estimated U.S. sugar supplies by 65,000 short tons, raw value (STRV), to 13.957 million STRV. This is primarily due to less domestic beet sugar production, as reported sucrose extraction from sliced beets continues to be low compared with historical performance. Total use is raised 100,000…

SUA Congratulates U.S. Trade Representative Lighthizer

Press Releases

Washington, DC (May 11, 2017) – The Sweetener Users Association (SUA) today issued the following statement on the U.S. Senate’s bipartisan confirmation of Robert Lighthizer to serve as the next U.S. Trade Representative (USTR): “We congratulate Ambassador Lighthizer on his confirmation. America’s food and beverage industry manufacturers – companies large and small from coast to…

SUA Submission to the U.S. Department of Commerce Re: Comments Regarding Causes of Significant Trade Deficits for 2016

Letters

The Administration’s inquiry into the causes of significant trade deficits affords an opportunity to consider the deleterious effects of U.S. sugar policies on the export prospects of other U.S. agricultural commodities. If past trade agreements have often failed to completely open foreign markets to U.S. farm goods, one reason is that the United States negotiates…

SUA Letter to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue Re: the U.S.-Mexico Suspension Agreements

Letters

The Sweetener Users Association (SUA) appreciates the efforts of the Department of Commerce (DOC), in consultation with the Department of Agriculture (USDA), to renegotiate agreements with Mexico that have suspended antidumping and countervailing duties that would otherwise be imposed on sugar imported from that nation. The current suspension agreements, negotiated by the previous Administration, have…