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Perdue: U.S. and Mexico need to reach deal on sugar

 

The U.S. Ag Secretary says it’s in the best interest of the U.S. sugar industry and Mexico to reach an agreement on trade issues before the Department of Commerce imposes import duties.

Sonny Perdue told farm broadcasters at USDA headquarters Tuesday there could be consequences to producers in both countries if the U.S. were to procure raw sugar from the world market.

“We’re not asking our sugarbeet producers, nor our cane producers in Louisiana and Floridia to do things that are not in their long-term best interest.  I’m not going to ask anybody to sign a deal that’s going to put them out of business, but we do want them to think long and hard about the consequences.”

The U.S. Department of Commerce announced Monday it would end the antidumping and countervailing duty suspension agreements in place with Mexico and impose duties on Mexican sugar beginning June 5, unless the two countries could come to an agreement.

Phillip Hayes with the American Sugar Alliance says the U.S. has lost more than $4 billion in revenue since Mexico dumping began and growers in Hawaii have ceased sugar production.

AUDIO: Comments from Secretary Perdue