-THE U.S. SUGAR QUOTAS-: An Economic Weapon v. Free Trade

—THE U.S. SUGAR QUOTAS—

SUGAR, one of the world's most closely regulated commodities, has become a powerful economic weapon as the strain in U.S.-Cuban relations has increased. Last week President Eisenhower asked Congress to extend the Sugar Act for four years, grant him authority to cut the quotas of any of the 15 foreign nations (including Cuba) that export sugar to the U.S. Beyond its political implications, Ike's action raised a more basic question: Should the U.S. continue a protectionist quota system that compels the consumer to support the price of sugar?

Many...