How to smuggle sugar The high price of U.S. sugar has encouraged smuggling and attempts to circumvent the tariff. In the 1980s when the U.S. price was four times the world price, Canadian entrepreneurs created super-high-sugar iced tea. The “tea” was shipped into the United States and then sifted for the sugar, which was resold.
To combat this entrepreneurship, the U.S. government created even more tariffs for sugar-containing products like iced tea, cake mixes, and cocoa.
Source: Economic Report of the President 1986, Chapter 4. DENIS LARKIN/SHUTTERSTOCK