Washington, DC – Today, National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) President Bill Reinsch released the following statement welcoming the introduction of the Sugar Reform Act of 2015 as a positive step toward reforming one of the oldest and most protectionist programs mandated by Congress.

"The NFTC commends the cosponsors – Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Pat Toomey (R-PA), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Susan Collins (R-ME), Bob Corker (R-TN), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Rob Portman (R-OH), Dan Coats (R-IN), John McCain (R-AZ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Mark Warner (D-VA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Dean Heller (R-NV) and Ron Johnson (R-WI) – for their ongoing efforts to reform the Depression-era U.S. sugar program.

"Defined by import restrictions and marketing allotments, the U.S. sugar program has distorted U.S. trade policy for far too long at the expense of U.S. consumers, taxpayers and businesses – costing consumers up to $3.5 billion annually and putting at unnecessary risk 600,000 American manufacturing jobs across the country.

"The U.S. sugar program is bad for American consumers, bad for the U.S. economy and bad for our global trading system. It's time to end the instability that has plagued the sugar market over the years by enacting comprehensive reform, as proposed in the Sugar Reform Act.

"We urge the Senate to pass this legislation without delay."