FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                               CONTACT:    Phillip Hayes

Monday, August 2, 2010                                                                                202-271-5734 (cell)

From the International Sweetener Symposium:

USDA: Data Collection, Cooperation With Mexico To Improve

VAIL, Colo.—U.S. sugar producers received some good news today from a high ranking U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) official who told attendees at the 27^th International Symposium that the governments of the United States and Mexico have agreed to better collect and share information about the North American sweetener market.

Unreliable consumption, production, import, and export data in Mexico has made it more difficult for the USDA to administer sugar policy in the United States, according to USDA Under Secretary James Miller.

Sharing timely, accurate market information and improving cooperation between the countries to ensure proper market integration were a focus of joint recommendations made by the U.S. and Mexican sugar industries to their respective governments last October.

Sugar producers in the United States and Mexico first received a response to the recommendations in a joint letter sent last week by the USDA, the U.S. Trade Representative’s office, and Mexico’s agriculture and trade ministries.

“Going forward, each government will continue to seek improvements in the timeliness, reliability and publication of the data relevant to sweetener trade which it collects, and strengthen the process for regular exchange of data between the two countries,” read the letter, which also noted that Mexico will work to “establish a requirement for producers and sugar mills to deliver reliable and timely information.”

Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND), who has been following this issue closely and will address the Symposium on Wednesday, said it is “unusual, if not unprecedented” for a letter to be signed by so many senior government officials from two countries.

“This shows just how seriously the two governments took the joint recommendations,” explained Sen. Conrad.  “Both governments appear committed to continuing regular discussions and developing additional measures to ensure balance and stability in the two markets.”

In response to the news, the American Sugar Alliance released the following statement: “We appreciate the consideration given by the U.S. and Mexican governments to the recommendations of the U.S. and Mexican sugar industries to improve the operation of the North American sugar market under NAFTA.  The response by the governments indicates their commitment to making sure NAFTA works effectively for both countries. The U.S. industry will continue to work closely with the U.S. government on these issues.”

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For more information about the International Sweetener Symposium, visit www.sugaralliance.org

Symposium audio files can be downloaded at www.ASAradio.org