Candy prices are at a record high this Halloween season. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for candy and chewing gum for September 2026 was 7.7% higher than a year ago, more than double the overall CPI increase. Tariffs and import quotas, which more than double the cost of U.S. sugar compared to world prices, are part of the problem.
High cocoa prices also contribute to the cost of candy. Cocoa prices are lower than last year but remain higher than average. To his credit, President Trump responded by exempting cocoa from tariffs.
Unfortunately, the Administration failed to do the same for sugar. As a result, Americans continue to be gouged. In Fiscal Year 2026, U.S. sugar prices were 131% higher than the average world price. Refined sugar was 117% higher than the average world price.
The Trump Administration has repeatedly criticized Canada for maintaining a dairy program that limits U.S. exports. The U.S. sugar program operates like Canada’s dairy program by subjecting imports of raw and refined sugar to tariff-rate quotas (TRQs). Sugar that enters below the quota faces a very low tariff. Sugar that enters above the quota faces a very high tariff. These import restrictions raise the cost of sugar and sugar-containing products.
In 2023, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimated that the high-cost sugar program drains $2.5 billion to $3.5 billion a year from U.S. consumers and food manufacturers. After accounting for the benefits bestowed on domestic sugar producers, the net economic loss is $780 million to $1.6 billion per year.
Tariffs affect more than just sugar. Trump’s 50% tariffs on aluminum add to the cost of foil-wrapped Hershey’s Kisses and other products that use aluminum packaging.
Americans want the government to bring down the cost of everyday goods. Driving a stake through the heart of the federal sugar program and rolling back aluminum tariffs would be a good start.