The American Sugar Alliance told the Commerce Department today that the draft agreements with Mexico to suspend pending trade cases against Mexico's sugar industry cannot be effectively enforced.

"We are committed to the suspension agreement negotiations, but the agreements, as drafted, do not yet provide for effective enforcement. We remain hopeful that the negotiations can be finalized quickly, but important issues must be resolved to ensure the agreements operate as intended," said Phillip Hayes, a spokesperson for the American Sugar Alliance.

"Our ultimate objective is to stop Mexico's unfair trade practices, which are injuring Americans and undermining NAFTA, and the final pact has to do that."

Hayes said U.S. producers' hope the settlement can be finalized, but said the industry is confident in the strength of their antidumping and countervailing duty cases if an agreement cannot be reached.

The Sweetener Users Association also suggested changes to the agreements.

The users said, “In their current form, the draft agreements do not meet the statutory standard of being in the public interest. … Absent the modifications … the suspension agreements will result in unnecessary disruptions of the U.S. sugar market, an outcome that is in the interest of no party to these proceedings.”

▪ Sugar to Mexico: Petitioners’ Comments
▪ Comments from the Sweetener Users Association