Introduction

The WTO dispute over soft drinks between the United States and Mexico was one element of long-running controversy between the two countries regarding trade in sugar and other sweeteners. The main product as far as the United States was concerned was high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which is produced from corn (known in many countries as 'maize'), but is a sugar that, when used as a sweetener for soft drinks, is virtually indistinguishable from conventional sugars. Mexico also had substantial HFCS production, but its main and traditional source of sweetener was cane sugar, a ...