NEW YORK — The U.S. is allowing imports of low-tariff or duty-free sugar to arrive on its shores one month early, to compensate for a shortage of the sweetener.
Wet weather in the Midwest this spring has delayed plantings of sugar beets, the source of more than half of U.S.-grown sugar. Mexico, a major source of foreign sugar for the U.S., also had weather problems affecting its crops.
On Monday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said it will accept imports of low-tariff or duty-free sugar for the coming fiscal year beginning Sept. 1, one month ahead of schedule.
"This action is in response to increased tightness in the U.S. raw cane sugar market," the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a news release.
The government took the same step last year, and each time it generated criticism from food manufacturers and retailers that the U.S. waits too long to address supply concerns.
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