NEW YORK—U.S. baked-goods and candy manufacturers pinched by rising sugar prices are pressuring the government to increase imports of the sweetener.
The U.S. needs to import sugar every year, but the Department of Agriculture operates a limit for low-tariff or duty-free imported sugar to protect domestic producers.
The USDA generally sets the limit at the minimum allowed by the World Trade Organization. In the current fiscal year ending Sept. 30, it is just over 1.1 million metric tons. Although U.S. sugar-consuming companies often need more than that, U.S. law bars the USDA from raising its limit until after April 1, …
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