Most of the major sugar producing and exporting countries, including the United States, have adopted national policies to protect domestic producers from the periodic price depressions. U.S. sugar production costs are above both current world sugar prices and the prices at which the major cane sugar exporters can operate profitably. Consequently, the U.S. sugar industry cannot now compete in an open domestic sweetener market without upheaval in its production and processing sectors, unless it receives Government assistance on a continuing basis.