GOP senator rips Trump over sugar deal with Mexico

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) on Thursday voiced his opposition to the Trump administration’s agreement with Mexico on the sugar trade, saying the deal increases the costs for consumers.

“I disagree—the new sugar deal hikes prices for consumers even more. Here’s why,” Toomey wrote on Twitter, quoting a tweet from President Trump and linking to his own remarks on the agreement. 

I disagree—the new sugar deal hikes prices for consumers even more. Here’s why: https://t.co/g2VNiL4Jh8 https://t.co/hWu8ZLA9vI

— Senator Pat Toomey (@SenToomey) June 29, 2017

Trump early Thursday touted the deal on Twitter, saying it is “a very good one” for both countries.

{mosads}“New Sugar deal negotiated with Mexico is a very good one for both Mexico and the U.S. Had no deal for many years which hurt U.S. badly,” Trump said. 

New Sugar deal negotiated with Mexico is a very good one for both Mexico and the U.S. Had no deal for many years which hurt U.S. badly.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 29, 2017

But Toomey, who hails from the state that is home to The Hershey Company, a chocolate manufacturer, argued the “deal actually makes the problem worse,” referring to current sugar prices.

In a speech earlier this month on the Senate floor, Toomey slammed the agreement, saying it is bad for American consumers and workers. 

“The fact is this is a bad deal for the United States. I am completely mystified as to why our Commerce Department would agree to it,” Toomey said at the time.

“It’s a bad deal for U.S. consumers, and we’re all consumers. It’s a bad deal for American workers. It completely fails to address the high price of sugar that we have in America today.”

Toomey, after the deal’s announcement, also said that it threatens nearly 40,000 jobs in the Keystone State.

The agreement, announced earlier this month in principle, would halt taxes on Mexico’s sugar imports coming into the U.S. The deal would increase the price of Mexican raw sugar while reducing the percentage of refined sugar that can be imported to the U.S.

The Coalition for Sugar Reform, alliance of food manufacturers and other groups, also criticized the deal in a statement, saying it benefited corporate interests rather than consumers.

“The fact is, the U.S.-Mexico deal is a bad deal for the hardworking Americans President Trump pledged to help. True to old Washington ways, the only winners in this deal are a select few big corporate sugar farm interests, and the losers are U.S. consumers and American food and beverage companies that buy and use sugar,” the coalition said.

This story was updated at 5:08 p.m.