11.   The Senate bill would also remove many controls on domestic sugar production, but would retain import limits.

12.   The United States limits foreign imports to keep domestic sugar prices stable.

13.   The sugar subsidy helps domestic sugar growers, most of whom are in Florida and Louisiana.

14.   Under current law, the Agriculture Department keeps the price of domestic sugar high by restricting imports.

15.   With the help of Dole and others, Congress has maintained a sugar program that keeps out imports and sets domestic sugar prices above world levels.

16.   Philfoodex said the high cost of domestic sugar has rendered locally processed juice, candies, and confectioneries uncompetitive.

17.   Derbez said the decision to limit fructose imports seeks to support debt-troubled domestic sugar farmers, without violating the spirit of NAFTA.

18.   Domestic sugar is produced from beets in northern states such as Minnesota, North Dakota and Idaho, and from sugar cane in Florida, Texas and Louisiana.

19.   In April, the government rejected demands by sugarcane planters to raise domestic sugar prices, a politically sensitive issue during the current recession.

20.   NCSP earlier claimed that the premature reports on the plan to import sugar resulted in the decline in domestic sugar prices.