Changes to U.S.-Mexico Sugar Deals Invalidated by Trade Court

Changes the Trump administration negotiated to a pair of deals with Mexican industry to forestall U.S. duties on Mexican sugar must be invalidated, the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled Oct. 18.

The Commerce Department’s failure to maintain contemporaneous records of meetings it held with interested parties during negotiations violated the law and prejudiced CSC Sugar LLC, a refiner that wasn’t in on these conversations, the trade court said.

Under a pair of “suspension agreements” signed in 2014, the Commerce Department agreed not to impose antidumping or countervailing duties on sugar imported from Mexico. In return, the Mexican industry agreed ...