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Sugar Price-Fixing Case Scaled Back but Not Dismissed

By  |  October 16, 2025

A federal judge in Minnesota has trimmed a sweeping antitrust case targeting the U.S. sugar industry but ruled that the lawsuit may continue against United Sugar and ASR Group, the owner of Domino Sugar, according to Reuters.

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    U.S. District Judge Jerry Blackwell determined that consumers and commercial sugar buyers had adequately alleged that the two companies worked together through a broker to exchange sensitive pricing information and push prices higher. However, the judge dismissed claims against Michigan Sugar and Louis Dreyfus Company, citing insufficient evidence directly linking them to the alleged conspiracy, per Reuters.

    The companies had faced accusations of coordinating a “clearinghouse” system that allowed producers to share non-public data about pricing and production levels, effectively reducing competition. Plaintiffs claimed this alleged conduct led to a 70% surge in retail sugar prices between 2019 and 2024, according to Reuters.

    In their defense, the sugar producers argued that the lawsuits ignored legitimate factors behind the price increases, including higher raw sugar costs. Blackwell noted that while some companies might have received competitor information, that alone does not establish an illegal agreement. “Receiving information is not the same as agreeing to fix prices,” the judge wrote. “Knowledge of competitors’ pricing does not plausibly infer an agreement.”

    Read more: Sugar Producers in Antitrust Cross-Hairs

    ASR Group, United Sugar, and their attorneys did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment, and neither did the plaintiffs’ legal representatives. Michigan Sugar’s president and CEO, Neil Juhnke, said the company was pleased with the judge’s ruling, while Louis Dreyfus declined to comment.

    Filed in 2024 and consolidated in Minnesota as part of a multidistrict proceeding, the lawsuit represents a major test of alleged coordination in the U.S. sugar market. Judge Blackwell’s decision allows plaintiffs to amend their complaint within 30 days. The case is titled In re: Granulated Sugar Antitrust Litigation, U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota, No. 0:24-cv-00959-JWB-DTS.

    Source: Reuters