Under Headlines: Sugar Could Sweeten U.S. Australia Trans-Pacific Trade Talks, the article discusses U.S. sugar quotas that restrict the import of sugar into the United States and result in sugar prices roughly double the world price of sugar. In this question, you will be asked to use data to determine the relative prices of refined sugar in the world (world price) and in the United States (domestic price).
The source of the data is the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and they are available United States Department of Agriculture. To access the data:
1. Scroll down to “Data set, world and U.S. sugar and corn sweetener prices.”
2. Choose “Table 2—World refined sugar price, monthly, quarterly, and by calendar and fiscal year.” When you select the link, an Excel data set will open.
3. Now select “Table 5—U.S. wholesale refined beet sugar price, Midwest markets, monthly, quarterly, and by calendar and fiscal year.” When you select the link an Excel data set will open.
Now you will utilize numerical data to obtain specific information on U.S. sugar quotas and tariffs, using data from the United States International Trade Commission, available United States International Trade Commission. To access the data:
1. Under the text description of the Official Harmonized Tariff Schedule 2017, select “2017 HTSA Preliminary Edition—by chapter.”
2. The page will open to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (2017 HTSA Basic Edition). Scroll down to “Chapter 17, Sugars and sugar confectionery.” Select the link, which will open a pdf of the chapter.