THE TARIFF IN ITS RELATION TO THE SUGAR-BEET INDUSTRY

HISTORY OF THE TARIFF RATES ON SUGAR AND SUGAR BEETS

The tariff on sugar beets has never compared in importance with
the tariff on sugar. Because of their bulkiness the shipment of beets
for long distances is not economical, and the only imports have
consisted of a small movement of Canadian beets across the border
to domestic factories, a movement insignificant in comparison with
sugar imports. During the period 1921-1925, the average annual
value of imports of sugar beets approximated $136,000 and the average
 annual value of imports of sugar was about $267,000,000.
The duty on sugar beets under the various tariff acts since 1894
has ranged from the equivalent of 5 to 25 per cent ad valorem.
Under the present duty of 80 cents per ton, imports have continued
to be small, even though the ad valorem equivalent of the duty in
the period 1922-1925 was only 1314 per cent, and the ad valorem
equivalent of the duty on sugar was much higher; the duty on Cuban
05° and 96° centrifugals during the same period equalled 45 and 46
per cent ad valorem, respectively. Imports of these two grades
during that time constituted 95 per cent of the total imports of sugar,
so that these rates may be considered as representative.
Table 6 shows the rates of duty on sugar beets and on sugar in
effect since 1909, together with the ad valorem equivalents. The
duty on 95° and 96° centrifugals from Cuba is given. In 1925,
because of the low prices of sugar, the ad valorem equivalents of
these duties rose from 41 per cent in 1924 to 68 and 69 per cent.

TaBLE 5.—Sugar production in the United States and its possessions, 1866-1926
[In short tons)

Cane sugar

Period

0-vear average:
‘866-1875.
876-1885.
RRO6-1805,
896-190...
906-191.
1918-19025

AX.
014...
3m
1916 __._. ...
HN 7 iin mnens o

97, lo.
926.

Beet sugar
‘chiefly refined)


126
531
10, 698
149, 012
501, 750
T2378

22,054
74, 220
20, 657
65, 207
'60, 950
26, 451
189, 021
20. 48¢

gd.

United
States

59, 131
19, 747
23, 164
325, 466
297, 679
21. 365

46, 620
3R 620
aco
840
#4 Aq
~ nL

Porto Rico

91, 860
32,010
66, 696
101, 385
336, 150
{82 585

346, 490
183, 590
103, 081
153, 794
06, 002
<= 071
pe 1p
2

Hawaii

* 25, 577
51, 558
143, 989
342, 946
557,253
322.498

48, 000
592, 763
544, 663
576, 700
300, 312
155, 727
21, 579
192, 000
337, 000
591, 000
769, 000
187, 246
R10. 000

Philippine
Islands

100, 521
179,172
236, 379
121, 850
252, 109
518 628

121, 192
112, 274
25, 266
174, 745
153, 346
a6, 912
“8, 499
2189
75,325
29, 091
779, 510
607, 356

Total

277, 615
433, 068
680, 926
1,040, 650
2 044, 941
2 717 454

2, 382, 356
2, 501, 467
Y, 704, 567
516, 2868
2, 505, 010
»’ 356, 286
885, 031
881, 704
~, 362, 232
2,713, 410
* 3, 387, 404
43.050, 222

Compiled from statistics of the U. S. Department of Agriculture.
Average for 1874 and 1875 only.
- Does not include cane sugar in States other than Louisiana.
"Unofficial.