5877: problem with sugar (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: mark gill <doctorgill@clas.net>

the real problem in the Haitian sugar industry is not whether such an
industry is a good idea, but the cost of production per pound.  unless
things have changed drastically within the last year or so, Haiti has not
been able to take advantage of the sugar import quota into the US, with
sugar being a protected industry.  the reason is that the cost to produce a
pound of sugar in Haiti has kept it from being competitive, at least in the
US.  prices in the US are artifically high, and if Haiti cant compete here,
it is questionable if its sugar industry can compete elsewhere, since they
would receive more "per pound" here than elsewhere.

i no longer have the data that explains the reason for the high cost of
production, except that i do recall that there were importers who wanted to
make profits from imported sugar and were able to get this policy accepted.
things may have changed, but this was a part of the problem.

m gill