WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture at its annual Outlook Forum on Feb. 24 projected 2017-18 U.S. sugar ending stocks at 1,692,000 short tons, raw value, based on a 13.5% ending stocks-to-use ratio, the minimum required in the 2014 Anti-dumping and Countervailing Duty Suspension Agreements between the United States and Mexico, which currently are in the process of being reviewed. The projected ending stocks would be down 6% from 1,808,000 tons this year, with the current ratio at 14.8%.
Beet sugar production in 2017-18 was forecast at a record 5,448,000 tons, up 77,000 tons from 5,371,000 tons this year, the current record, and cane sugar at 3,960,000 tons, up 91,000 tons from 3,869,000 tons in the current year.
Imports from Mexico in 2017-18 were projected at 1,282,000 tons, up 32% from 972,000 tons as the current 2016-17 forecast.
Deliveries for food in 2017-18 were projected at 12,324,000 tons, up 324,000 tonnes from 2016-17. Total domestic deliveries were projected at 12,479,000 tons, also up 324,000 tons from the current year.