MEXICO/US: Mexico recommences soft drink tax

The long-running dispute between the US and Mexico over high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), used as a sweetener for soft drinks, looks set to continue as the Mexican Supreme Court ruled last week to re-establish a 20% tax on soft drinks that use the corn-based sweetener. The law was introduced at the beginning of the year to protect Mexican sugar producers who said they were losing business with Mexican soft drinks producers to cheaper US-imported corn syrup. The measure was also designed to put pressure on the US to allow greater access to the US market for Mexican sugar producers.