Sugar Producers Thankful for Bipartisan Support Amid Immense Challenges

August 19, 2026

Earlier this month, the American Sugar Alliance hosted the 41st annual International Sweetener Symposium. Sugarbeet and sugarcane farmers, industry leaders, and policymakers gathered in Colorado to discuss a range of issues and challenges facing America’s sugar producers, among them unfair foreign trade practices.

USDA Officials Address Farmers

We are grateful that several officials from the Trump administration, including U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Stephen A. Vaden, spoke at the meeting. Deputy Secretary Vaden reaffirmed the Trump Administration's commitment to American sugar producers, saying, “We put American farmers first, and we’re not going to allow unfair foreign competition to take our own markets away from us.”

Carlann Unger, who manages the U.S. sugar program at the USDA, noted that the U.S. started 2026 with the highest stocks of sugar on record, which she attributed to the outdated over-quota sugar tariff.

“The main challenge… it’s really the high-tier [sugar]. The high-tier [tariff] was set in 2000. It is no longer prohibitive,” Unger said. “And that’s not something that we can control through the sugar program.”

Deputy Secretary Vaden with the American Sugar Alliance Executive Committee. Deputy Secretary Vaden received a standing ovation from the farmers in attendance.

Bipartisan Congressional Support for Sugar Crop Growers Continues

The Symposium provided a valuable opportunity for sugar producers and bipartisan policymakers to discuss strengthening U.S. sugar policy, including modernizing outdated over-quota sugar tariffs.

This May, 112 members of Congress sent a joint letter to the U.S. Trade Representative, advocating for a Section 301 investigation and updated tariff-rate quotas to help protect America’s sugar producers. One of those members, Rep. Shontel Brown (D-OH-11), addressed the Symposium, highlighting the national impact of U.S. sugar policy. 

As Vice Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee, Rep. Brown understands that food security is national security. Click here to listen to Rep. Brown explain the critical work she is doing to defend the American sugar industry against unfair foreign trade practices that put American farmers and workers at a disadvantage.

Representative Brown with sugarbeet and sugarcane farmers following her remarks.  

Economic and Trade Challenges Remain at the Forefront

The economic and trade challenges facing sugarbeet and sugarcane farmers took center stage throughout the meeting. Dr. Rob Johansson, ASA’s Director of Economics and Policy Analysis, moderated panel discussions with trade experts and economists on the current outlook for the American sugar industry and the cost of failing to address excessive over-quota sugar imports and unfair trade practices.  

Source: American Sugar Alliance