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Insight Focus
The US sugar market remains quiet as trade slowly reawakens. The Trump administration’s 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines tighten added sugar limits, especially for children, drawing attention from sugar beet and cane markets. The stricter guidance adds pressure on sweetener and food manufacturers already facing GLP-1 impacts and reduced federal food assistance.
Cash Sugar Market Remains Quiet as Trade Reawakens
Activity in the cash sugar market was quiet, though there were signs the trade was beginning to shake off the holiday doldrums. Spot prices and values for the balance of 2026 were unchanged.
A few sellers in select regions began offering prices for 2026-27 supplies, but values were largely considered nominal amid a period of price discovery. A handful of buyers extended coverage for the current marketing year, though many opted to wait and negotiate during sideline conversations at next month’s International Sweetener Colloquium.
New Dietary Guidelines Draw Attention
Much of the trade’s attention was focused on sugar beet and sugar cane crops, as well as the release by the Trump administration of the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Key recommendations in the report regarding added sugar consumption include avoiding highly processed foods containing added sugar and sodium. The report also said that “while no amount of added sugars or non-nutritive sweeteners is recommended or considered part of a healthy or nutritious diet, one meal should contain no more than 10 grams of added sugars.”
These recommendations differ significantly from the 2020-2025 report, which advised consumers two years old and older to limit added sugar consumption to less than 10% of total daily calorie intake. For example, someone consuming a 2,000-calorie-per-day diet should limit added sugar intake to 200 calories, which under the prior guidelines equates to about 50 grams of sugar. The 2025-2030 report’s updated guidance for this age group contains stronger language recommending that all added sugar be avoided during infancy and early childhood, defined as birth to four years of age. The report also said no added sugar is recommended for middle childhood, which was identified as five to 10 years of age.
The new dietary guidelines have added further strain to the sweetener and other food manufacturing industries, which are already managing the impacts of increased GLP-1 drug usage and policies limiting federal food assistance support.
Annual corn sweetener contracting for 2026 was mostly completed by the end of 2025. Spot market buyers are expected to add coverage as the year progresses. Prices were steady, though a reassessment of 2025 corn acres and yields in the January 12 Crop Production report from the USDA may provide some support if US corn yield and production are revised lower.
