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…
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…
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…
On behalf of the Coalition for Sugar Reform, congratulations on your confirmation to serve as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. You will soon be inundated with a host of new issues to digest, but we write to call your attention to one program in particular that negatively impacts the U.S. economy. The U.S. sugar program hurts…
The Sweetener Users Association (“SUA”) appreciates the opportunity to comment on a March 1, 2017 letter filed by the Government of Mexico with respect to that nation’s suspension of export licenses for sugar to the United States, as well as related actions. SUA members are the end users of sugar imported from Mexico and other countries,…
The Sweetener Users Association (SUA) appreciates the opportunity to present information on the economic impact of U.S. sugar program import restraints on the U.S. sugar and sweetener sector and the food and beverage industries that use the majority of these key food ingredients. SUA’s membership includes a broad range of food and beverage manufacturers, along…
On behalf of the Sweetener Users Association, I write to respectfully urge your favorable consideration of Ambassador Robert E. Lighthizer for the post of United States Trade Representative (USTR). Ambassador Lighthizer’s decades-long involvement in major trade policy issues make him eminently qualified to serve in this critical role. SUA members are directly affected by trade…
The Sweetener Users Association comprises companies that are directly affected by many policies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, including USDA’s administration of the federal sugar program. While we have often been critical of the structure of current sugar policy, we have also worked closely with USDA officials to encourage program administration that is balanced…
It appears efforts are being made to change the most recent Anti-Dumping and Countervailing Duty Suspension Agreement with Mexico to require sugar imported from Mexico to be sold only to refineries that granulate and crystalize sugar. This is problematic because there are sugar refineries in the U.S. that only produce liquid sugar, which is used…
Even before the next farm bill is written, sugar markets have unfortunately been further distorted by the suspension agreements between the United States and Mexico. Although these agreements are preferable in theory to the antidumping and countervailing duties that would otherwise apply to Mexican sugar, the pacts badly need to be renegotiated and changed to…