Sweetener Deliveries Decrease

U.S. deliveries of sweeteners for 2003 are estimated at 20.594 million tons. With the exception of edible syrups, deliveries are down from 2002 in each of the sweetener categories. Especially notable is the decrease in domestic deliveries of refined sugar of 216,000 tons and of HFCS of 176,000 tons. On a per capita basis, U.S. sweetener deliveries for 2003 are equal to 141.5 pounds, down 4.7 pounds from 2002, and down 9.8 pounds from the per capita high, set in 1999, of 151.4 pounds. Prior to 1995, sugar contained in imports was pretty much offset by sugar contained in U.S. food exports, indicating only a minor positive adjustment to total deliveries Beginning in the 1995-96 period, sugar-containing product imports started increasing at a faster rate than U.S. sugar-containing product exports. Added sugar from imported products has grown from 83,000 tons in 1996 to 535,000 tons in 2003. On a per capita basis, the sugar in net imported product added 3.7 pounds to total per capita sweetener availability in 2003. Estimates of sugar consumption of refined sugar and HFCS have continued to decline after reaching record-high levels in 1999. Per capita consumption of domestically delivered sugar is estimated at 205 calories per day. Adding in sugar from estimated net imported product brings the total to 218 calories per day, about the same level as in 1993. Daily average intake of HFCS in 2003 is estimated at 205 calories, down 10 calories from 1999.