USDA Triggers Safeguard on Sugar-Containing Products

For the first time ever, the USDA has implemented a safeguard trigger on a limited amount of sugar-containing products coming into the United States.

“The numbers were exceeding the allocation or the quantity, so they implemented that.” Harrison Weber with the Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association says there’s already tariffs on sugar coming into the United States, but this is different.

“Think about a candy bar that’s produced overseas. If it contains sugar, it has a certain quantity allowed into the United States.”

The safeguard is temporary on products containing more than 65 percent sugar from countries that don’t have a free trade agreement with the United States.

American Sugarbeet Growers Association CEO Luther Markwart said countries like Germany and Switzerland are impacted by the new tariffs and the tariffs are in addition to the 10 percent the administration issued in early April.

He says USDA’s action is more of a symbolic message the United States is sending to countries that American food products come first.

The tariffs remain in effect through September 30.

EDITOR’S TAKE:

This move by USDA does send a strong signal that the U.S. is serious about limiting foreign sugar to make our citizens healthier, and other nations can’t simply put their sugar in a candy bar to circumvent sugar quotas. Sugar has long been a very contested and complicated political football. Many other nations who produce sugar with cheaper land and labor would love to drive our producers out of business. But since sugar has been such an important commodity in our food system, quotas have been used to maintain our sugar production. The combination of recent moves by USDA and on-going quotas will certainly put other sugar producing nations on notice. Sugar producers in your area would love to know about your support for their industry.