U.S. Production and Prices
151,000+
American jobs – many of which are unionized – that are in jeopardy of being outsourced without strong farm and trade policies.
16%
Increase in sugar production over the last 25 years, on 11% less land, thanks to investments in technology and science-based stewardship of the land.
100%
Percentage of beet processing factories that are farmer-owned — 90% of U.S. cane refining capacity is owned by farmers or employees.
82%
Percentage of Americans who prefer real sugar to artificial sweeteners.
99,000
Additional tons of sugar quickly shifted to consumer packaging between March and May 2020 to ensure store shelves stayed stocked during the pandemic – that’s the equivalent of about 50 million four-pound sugar bags. The U.S. sugar industry operates a nationwide network of factories, mills, refineries, and storage facilities so sugar is always available when and where it’s needed.
> 30%
The increased cost of growing sugarbeets and sugarcane since 2018. The costs of processing those into sugar have also increased with higher costs of labor, replacement machine parts, and transportation.
U.S. Sugar Policy and Trade
26
The number of years since the over-quota tariffs were updated. This outdated tariff no longer presents a meaningful means of regulating the sale of foreign sugar in the United States.
$0.00
What U.S. sugar policy is designed to cost American taxpayers – that’s because sugar producers are offered interest-bearing loans that they repay rather than subsidy checks.
41
Countries, most of which are developing nations, that benefit from preferential access to the U.S. sugar market, making America the 3rd largest sugar importer in the world.
70%
Percentage of global sugar exports controlled by mega-subsidizers Brazil, Thailand, and India – all of which flood and distort the world market using government subsidies.
1/2
Historically, global sugar prices have barely covered half the average cost of producing sugar because of rampant foreign subsidization and the dumping of surpluses.
5-3-3
America is the 5th largest producer, 3rd largest importer, and 3rd largest consumer of sugar in the world.