Sugar & Sweeteners

This page provides information on:  

• Periodic and scheduled ERS publications and data on Sugar and Sweeteners 
• Recent ERS publications related to Sugar and Sweeteners

The United States is among the world's largest sugar producers. Unlike most other producing countries, the United States has large and well-developed industries for both sugarcane and sugar beets. Since the mid-1990s, sugarcane and sugar beets have accounted for about 45 percent and 55 percent, respectively, of domestic sugar production. U.S. sugar production expanded from an average of 6.0 million short tons raw value (STRV) in the early 1980s to an average of 8.1 million STRV since 2005/06. The production increases are due to the substantial investment in new processing equipment, adoption of advanced field- and storage-management practices,  the use of improved crop varieties, and acreage expansion (as sugar commanded higher prices relative to alternative crops). For more information about the U.S. sugar sector, see Background.

The U.S. sugar program uses price supports, domestic marketing allotments, and tariff-rate quotas to influence the amount of sugar available to the U.S. market. For more information about the U.S. sugar program see Policy.

ERS monitors developments in the sugar market and provides a range of data products and reports covering domestic and international supply, demand, trade, and prices.

Periodic, Scheduled Outputs 

• The Sugar and Sweeteners Outlook, a monthly report that provides supply and use projections for U.S. and global sugar markets based on the most current World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates.
  
• Sugar and Sweeteners Yearbook Tables, a frequently updated source of data on U.S. and international sugar and sweetener production, consumption, trade, and prices.
• WASDE at a Glance, a monthly interactive visualization that provides key data and highlights from USDA's World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) on field crops as well as livestock and dairy. 
• USDA's Agricultural Baseline Projections, an annual report published in February that offers 10-year projections from USDA's annual long-term projections analysis. The associated database covers projections for the four major feed grains (corn, sorghum, barley, and oats) in addition to the other major feed crops and livestock.

Recent ERS Reports Relating to Sugar and Sweeteners

In addition to the periodic Outlook reports and data products, ERS produces reports covering issues important to sugar markets in the United States and around the world.

Recent ERS reports relating to sugar and sweeteners include:

• Projecting World Raw Sugar Prices World sugar prices have an important effect on the U.S. sugar sector. This report presents a modeling framework for use in projecting world sugar prices, with detailed treatment of the role of Brazil in world sugar and ethanol sectors. (SSSM-317-01, January 2015)
• World Raw Sugar Prices: The Influence of Brazilian Costs of Production and World Surplus/Deficit Measures Brazil is the world's leading sugar producer, and over the long term, world sugar prices are determined by production costs in Center/South Brazil, as well as the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the Brazilian real. (SSSM-297-01, May 2013).

For more publications on Sugar and Sweeteners see Readings.