US-Mex Sugar Deal: A Challenge to Innovation

To all of our customers and suppliers,

Today the Government of Mexico and the U.S. Dept. of Commerce came to an agreement for a revision of the Suspension Agreement. The terms of the agreement will effectively reduce domestic competition in the sugar industry resulting in higher prices for food manufacturers and ultimately for consumers. This is not the result we were hoping for and certainly not the outcome desired by our customers.

I am proud to say that we spent many hours in D.C. communicating our expectations for a fair and reasonable trade agreement with Mexico. We have stood in solidarity with the interests of our customers and suppliers who depend on access to fairly priced and fairly traded sugar to stay competitive in a global marketplace. We have expressed our core belief that a healthy U.S. economy depends on equal access to government, not one based on political connections.

And now you may be asking “What does the new agreement mean for your company?”

Turning Back Time

These new barriers would be like the government telling you that you have to pick up your Amazon purchases at a store after waiting on a line for 30 minutes, to give Sears and K Mark a better chance to compete. We do not believe that the new agreement is in the interest of the industry as a whole, and sets a very bad precedent that we hope does not spread to other industries.

The Future

Sugaright’s business plan has always been and will continue to plan for change and to adapt to market changes. We have invested heavily in our facilities with the goal to be able to receive a wider range of raw sugar qualities, and to produce a wider range of finished products. I can assure all of our customers that our supply chain is in good order and that your supply from Sugaright is secure.

We will continue to innovate even in the face of an agreement which is intended to stifle fair competition. We will continue to offer competitive pricing to our customers and suppliers as we adapt to the new rules. And we will continue to put the needs of our customers above the needs of a few.

Best regards,

Paul Farmer

President CSC Sugar LLC