The United States Sweetener Excise Tax Policy Analysis

Prithviraj Lakkakula

No 196886, 2015 Annual Meeting, January 31-February 3, 2015, Atlanta, Georgia from Southern Agricultural Economics Association

Abstract: The United States accounts for one of the highest per-capita caloric sweetener consumption in the world. The American Heart Association recommends a maximum of around 6 to 9 teaspoons of per-capita sweetener consumption per day (equivalent to 23.8 pounds to 35.71 pounds per-capita, per year). The current US per-capita sweetener consumption is approximately 19 teaspoons/day. This high sweetener consumption is often linked to major health ailments such as obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. This study uses a supply and demand framework to evaluate the amount of excise tax on major sweeteners (sugar and high fructose corn syrup) sufficient to reduce excess sweetener consumption to the recommended level. Results suggest a maximum consumer tax of 12 cents per pound on both sugar and HFCS sufficient to reduce consumption to the recommended level. Also, a maximum producer tax of 25 cents per pound on sugar and 95 cents per pound on HFCS is suggested to reduce consumption to the recommended level.

Keywords: Agricultural and Food Policy; Demand and Price Analysis; Health Economics and Policy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr, nep-pbe and nep-pub
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:saea15:196886

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.196886

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