WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven this week spoke with U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Jamieson Greer to continue making the case for a Section 301 investigation into unfair and discriminatory trade practices by foreign sugar-producing countries. Hoeven followed up on a bipartisan, bicameral letter he led with 112 members of Congress calling for USTR to take action in support of the American sugarbeet and sugarcane industry, and outlined to Greer:
- That the Tier-2 tariff meant to defend U.S. sugar production from discriminatory foreign trade practices is wholly ineffective and has not been updated in 26 years.
- The erosion of the Tier-2 tariffs has led to a more than 700 percent increase in out-of-quota sugar imports between Fiscal Years (FY) 2021 and 2025 compared to the prior five-year period.
- North Dakota State University (NDSU) Agricultural Risk Policy Center’s study analyzing the impact of over-quota sugar imports on domestic sugar prices, which found that Tier-2 imports depressed U.S. domestic raw sugar prices and resulted in an estimated loss of up to $1.8 billion for the domestic U.S. sugar industry last year.
“We need to adjust Tier-2 tariff rates for our sugar industry. It’s vitally important as this is a huge industry for our region, and important for the country, as well. I spoke with Jamieson Greer, our U.S. Trade Representative, and I emphasized we need to get it done,” said Hoeven.
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