US

Trade Barriers for Sugar

The current trade barriers in the U.S. sugar industry raise the profits of sugar producers and make the typical U.S. consumer pay more for sugar and goods that use sugar as an input.

Responses weighted by each expert's confidence

Participant University Vote Confidence Bio/Vote History
Acemoglu
Daron Acemoglu
MIT
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Alesina
Alberto Alesina
Harvard Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Altonji
Joseph Altonji
Yale
Strongly Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
Auerbach
Alan Auerbach
Berkeley
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Autor
David Autor
MIT
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
FM Scherer did a cogent analysis of the Sugar Quota system as a Harvard Kennedy School case many years ago.
Baicker
Katherine Baicker
University of Chicago
Agree
2
Bio/Vote History
Bertrand
Marianne Bertrand
Chicago
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Chetty
Raj Chetty
Harvard
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Chevalier
Judith Chevalier
Yale
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
And drives demand for corn sweeteners.
Currie
Janet Currie
Princeton
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Cutler
David Cutler
Harvard
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Deaton
Angus Deaton
Princeton
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Duffie
Darrell Duffie
Stanford
Strongly Agree
1
Bio/Vote History
Economics 101. Lowering the supply (from foreign sources), leads the price to go up. At each price, a tariff lowers the foreign supply.
Edlin
Aaron Edlin
Berkeley Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Eichengreen
Barry Eichengreen
Berkeley
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Fair
Ray Fair
Yale
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
On the other hand sugar has negative health externalities and should probably be heavily taxed.
Goldberg
Pinelopi Goldberg
Yale
Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
Goldin
Claudia Goldin
Harvard
Strongly Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
I wrote a term paper on this topic in the previous century when I was an undergraduate. Don't know anything else about sugar markets.
Goolsbee
Austan Goolsbee
Chicago
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Greenstone
Michael Greenstone
University of Chicago
Strongly Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Hall
Robert Hall
Stanford Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Holmström
Bengt Holmström
MIT
Strongly Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
Hoxby
Caroline Hoxby
Stanford
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
This is purely empirical q that depends on degree to which the barrier binds. I've seen evidence for/against so this is a q for area experts
Judd
Kenneth Judd
Stanford
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Kashyap
Anil Kashyap
Chicago Booth
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Klenow
Pete Klenow
Stanford
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Terrible policy, but at least not as bad as the U.S. Sugar Act which expired in 1974.
-see background information here
Lazear
Edward Lazear
Stanford Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Levin
Jonathan Levin
Stanford Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Maskin
Eric Maskin
Harvard
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Nordhaus
William Nordhaus
Yale
Strongly Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
Econ 0.0001
Obstfeld
Maurice Obstfeld
Berkeley
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Saez
Emmanuel Saez
Berkeley
Agree
2
Bio/Vote History
Scheinkman
José Scheinkman
Columbia University
Strongly Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
In addition sugar trade barriers have caused part of the candy industry to move abroad. Life Savers are now made in Canada.
Schmalensee
Richard Schmalensee
MIT
Strongly Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Shin
Hyun Song Shin
Princeton
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Stokey
Nancy Stokey
University of Chicago
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Thaler
Richard Thaler
Chicago Booth
Strongly Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
uncle Sam as sugar daddy.
Udry
Christopher Udry
Northwestern
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Zingales
Luigi Zingales
Chicago Booth
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History