Why is my Candy Bar so Expensive?

 As someone who is constantly suffering from a sweet tooth, I saw it necessary to address an issue I have been noticing since my public choice class- why is my candy bar so expensive? The answer I found is that the U.S. has tariffs and import restrictions on sugar which makes sugar cost twice as much in the U.S. than the rest of the world. The purpose of these tariffs is to keep farmers and sugar processors employed in the U.S. In the article attached you will see that the U.S. has a long history of trade protectionism for American sugar producers through these tariffs and restrictions. The foreign cost of sugar is less than 15 cents per pound yet the domestic price is more than 25 cents per pound.

The tariffs increase the cost of the candy but do nothing to increase the value. Sugar at half price in other countries tastes the same as artificially high priced sugar in the U.S. There is a cost to rent seeking that doesn't add any economic value. In "The Welfare Costs of Tariffs, Monopolies, and Theft", Gordon Tullock explains that the main costs come from the waste of resources used when people strive to get these rents. Some of these costs include lobbyist salaries, rent, lawyers, etc. This all adds to the cost of my candy and, unfortunately, it does not make it taste any better.