Trump’s cane sugar push sparks clash with US corn industry

President Donald Trump’s proposal to replace high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) with cane sugar in Coca-Cola products has triggered a fierce backlash from US corn farmers and food industry stakeholders, who warn the move could threaten thousands of agricultural jobs and destabilise domestic markets. “I have been speaking to @CocaCola about using REAL Cane Sugar in Coke in the United States, and they have agreed to do so,” Trump announced on social media on July 16, calling the move “very good” for American consumers.

While Coca-Cola has yet to confirm the switch, saying only that “new innovative offerings” would be revealed soon, the prospect of a full-scale reformulation has rattled the corn industry. The Corn Refiners Association (CRA) said a switch away from HFCS could cost farmers up to $5.1 billion in revenue, potentially cutting corn prices by 34 cents per bushel and triggering rural job losses.

A blow to US corn belt, a boost for imports

Corn syrup, a long-time staple sweetener in US soft drinks due to its affordability and domestic availability, is made from roughly 400 million bushels of corn each year, about 2.5 per cent of national production. Coca-Cola’s shift, even if partial, could reduce demand for HFCS and increase US reliance on more expensive, tariffed imports of cane sugar from countries like Brazil and Central America.

Archer-Daniels-Midland and Ingredion—two of the country’s largest HFCS producers—saw their stock prices dip on July 17. Analysts estimate a full switch by Coke could cost the company over $1 billion annually, given the price difference between corn syrup and cane sugar. Complicating matters further is Trump’s own trade policy, which includes a 50 per cent tariff on Brazilian sugar imports. The US produces around 3.6 million metric tonnes of cane sugar annually, less than half the amount needed to replace corn syrup across the food and beverage industry.

Health politics and the rise of ‘MAHA’

The move also reflects growing momentum behind the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) campaign, spearheaded by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. MAHA targets ultra-processed foods and artificial additives, including corn syrup, as contributors to obesity and chronic illness.

Industry experts say the biggest concern isn’t Coca-Cola’s reformulation alone, but the broader regulatory and political climate that could lead to HFCS restrictions or bans. Caught between health populism and farm-state loyalty, Trump now faces a policy dilemma: support a symbolic health push or protect a bedrock of his rural political base.