US corn growers warn Trump's push for cane sugar in Coke will cost thousands of American jobs [View all]

Source: The Independent

Thursday 17 July 2025 11:19 EDT


U.S. corn growers have said that Donald Trump’s push to use real sugar cane in Coca-Cola “doesn’t make sense” and will cost thousands of American food manufacturing jobs.

In a statement, the Corn Refiners Association added that the move would also lower farm income and boost imports of foreign sugar “all with no nutritional benefit.”

It comes after Trump announced Wednesday that he had spoken to executives at Coca-Cola about changing the recipe – replacing high fructose corn syrup with sugar cane. “This will be a very good move by them — You’ll see. It’s just better!” the president wrote. While Coca-Cola in the U.S. is typically made with high-fructose corn syrup, the soda company uses cane sugar in other countries, such as Mexico.

“Replacing high fructose corn syrup with cane sugar doesn’t make sense,” the CRA wrote in their statement. “President Trump stands for American manufacturing jobs, American farmers and reducing the trade deficit.” “Replacing high fructose corn syrup with cane sugar would cost thousands of American food manufacturing jobs, depress farm income, and boost imports of foreign sugar, all with no nutritional benefit.”

Read more: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/us-corn-growers-sugar-cane-coca-cola-trump-b2790964.html