NEW YORK – A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers warned on Tuesday that restricting Mexican sugar imports would inflate food prices and threaten U.S. food manufacturers, the latest sign that pressure is growing on Washington to avoid trade barriers.
In a letter seen by Reuters, 17 U.S. senators on Tuesday urged the Commerce Department against striking a deal, known as a suspension agreement, that would impose quotas on Mexican sugar imports.
"Such a suspension agreement will violate our nation's commitment to free and open trade with Mexico, threaten the viability of American food manufacturers and raise food prices for American families," the lawmakers' letter said. The move was led by U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen, a New Hampshire Democrat, and Pat Toomey, a Republican from Pennsylvania, and also included Arizona Republican John McCain and California Democrat Diane Feinstein.
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