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    Are sugar subsidies/tariffs higher than those for other agricultural products? Commented Jun 8, 2018 at 12:36
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    @lazarusL - I do not know, but sugar is a particular case since it behaves more like an additive (added for taste, not nutrition) rather than actual food which is required. Or taking it to the extreme: humans might very well survive if factories fail to produce sugar, but would have major issues if basic agricultural products are not produced. Commented Jun 8, 2018 at 12:39
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    I think the unsatisfying answer is going to be: because sugar producers are well organized and politicians are corrupt. The interesting thing would be if there was some historical or industrial phenomenon that made sugar producers more organized or the politicians they deal with more corrupt. Commented Jun 8, 2018 at 12:43
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    Only your first two bullet points are examples of sugar subsidies that lower prices to consumers and thus increase consumption and their apparent issues. While the Chinese tariffs protect domestic sugar growers they do so by raising sugar prices for consumers. US's import quotas on sugar have the same effect, they increase the price Americans have to pay for sugar. India's "stock limits" are intended to stabilize prices, keeping them from shooting up in short term, but will likely have the unintended side effect of increasing them in the longer term. Commented Jun 9, 2018 at 5:44