Sugar is a major component of processed foods including ice cream, pork and beans, breakfast cereals, bagels and even whole grain bread.
Americans lead the world in consuming items with a high-sugar content, particularly fast foods and soft drinks. So it comes as no surprise that the U.S. imports a lot of its sugar, while exporting very little of the commodity.
In 2007, the United States imported US$826 million worth of cane and beet sugar from the rest of the world. That statistic represents a 38.8% dip from 2006 and a 43.8% gain since 2003.
USA’s Top 10 Sugar Suppliers
The following countries generated almost 80% of overall cane and beet sugar shipments delivered to American importers last year.
- Brazil … US$109.1 million (13.2% of total US sugar imports)
- Mexico … $103.5 million (12.5%)
- Dominican Republic … $101.9 million (12.3%)
- Philippines … $71.4 million (8.6%)
- Guatemala … $67 million (8.1%)
- Australia … $59.7 million (7.2%)
- Costa Rica … $41.4 million (5%)
- El Salvador … $34.7 million (4.2%)
- Peru … $31 million (3.8%)
- Nicaragua … $28.1 million (3.4%).
Central American countries in the above list provided about one third of US-imported sugar last year, followed by South American nations which supplied 16%.
Other Leading Sources For American Sugar Imports
Led by Canada, the following 15 U.S. trade partners accounted for 15.7% of American sugar imports in 2007.
- Canada … US$23.6 million (2.9% of total US sugar imports)
- Paraguay … $23 million (2.8%)
- Panama … $18.7 million (2.3%)
- Honduras … $17.3 million (2.1%)
- Argentina … $12.3 million (1.5%)
- South Africa … $10.2 million (1.2%)
- Thailand … $6.8 million (0.8%)
- Belize … $6.2 million (0.75%)
- Ecuador … $5.9 million (0.71%)
- Taiwan … $5.87 million (0.71%)
- Zimbabwe … $5.83 million (0.7%)
- Swaziland … $5.6 million (0.67%)
- Colombia … $5.5 million (0.66%)
- Guyana … $5.3 million (0.64%)
- India … $5.1 million (0.62%).
Together with the top 10 list, the above-mentioned 25 countries represent 94% of sugar sold to America in 2007.
America’s Fastest-Growing Sugar Providers
From among the top American sugar trade partners, only India, Paraguay and El Salvador increased their sugar sales to the U.S. last year.
- Switzerland … US$229,000 - Up 3,171% from 2006, Up 1,331% from 2003
- Germany … $238,000 - Up 2,280%, Up 303.4%
- Croatia … $49,000 - Up 1,125%, Up 16.7%
- Iran … $184,000 - Up 982.4%, Up 308.9%
- Italy … $13,000 - Up 85.7%, Up 225%
- India … $5.1 million - Up 67.5%, Up 61.1%
- Portugal … $15,000 - Up 50%, Up 200%
- Paraguay … $23 million - Up 26.7%, Up 209.2%
- El Salvador … $34.7 million - Up 25.5%, Up 4.1%
- South Korea … $45,000 - Up 25%, Up 542.9%.
The other countries listed immediately above are relatively small players, showing how fragmented the U.S. sugar import trade is.
America’s Fastest-Declining Sugar Suppliers
Below are the nations with the steepest declines in sweet commodity shipments to America in 2007.
- Sweden … US$17,000 - Down 98.2% from 2006, Up 240% from 2003
- Belgium … $321,000 - Down 97%, Up 27.4%
- Finland … $158,000 - Down 92.2%, Up 887.3%
- Colombia … $5.5 million - Down 89.9%, Down 86.3%
- Turkey … $52,000 - Down 79.9%, Up from nil in 2003
- Mexico … $103.5 million - Down 72.7%, Up 616.2%
- Zimbabwe … $5.8 million - Down 65.2%, Up from nil in 2003
- France … $1.6 million - Down 63.4%, Up 251.5%
- Argentina … $12.3 million - Down 62.9%, Down 26.8%
- Swaziland … $5.6 million – Down 60.2%, Down 19%.
Of the 60 countries that supply imported sugar to the U.S., forty sugar-exporting nations saw their sales fall last year.
References
This article presents independent calculations and insights based on data drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau – Foreign Trade Statistics.
Daniel Workman - A senior business and finance writer who also does French translations, notably international trade and insurance materials.
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