(Bloomberg) — President Donald Trump pressured Coca-Cola Co. to make Coca-Cola using U.S. cane sugar. The problem is that the soft drink maker cannot obtain enough sugar or production capacity to launch the product on a large scale.
In an interview with Bloomberg News On Tuesday, Chief Financial Officer John Murphy said the company is beginning to roll out Coca-Cola made with American cane sugar, but that it is limited by the supply of that sugar in the U.S. and the ability to increase production in glass bottles.
“It will be a gradual rollout,” Murphy said. “There is only so much cane sugar available in the United States.”
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Murphy’s comments highlight the challenges American companies face as they try to adapt business operations to Trump’s wishes. In addition to dealing with tariffs, unstable trade policies and the looming impact of the government shutdown on food aid payments, food companies are also under pressure to use more natural ingredients.
Trump announced in a post on Truth Social earlier this year that Coca-Cola planned to launch a new product made with US cane sugar. The company later confirmed it would launch a new drink using American cane sugar this fall.
Corn syrup vs. cane sugar
Coca-Cola uses high-fructose corn syrup, which is cheaper than cane sugar, to sweeten its flagship product in the US. However, a more expensive version of the soda that uses cane sugar imported from Mexico was gaining popularity.
Cane sugar production in the U.S. represents about 30% of the nation’s sugar supply, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The rest comes from beets, as well as imports from Mexico and other countries.
Murphy said that in addition to sugar supply, increasing production capacity in glass bottles is a limiting factor in launching the new soft drink. “If you look at the success of Mexican Coca-Cola in the United States, it’s a combination of the product and the packaging, and we’re very interested in offering that same combination using American cane sugar,” Murphy said.
The ability to produce the new American drink in glass bottles needs to be expanded to distribute the soda more widely, Murphy said, as the process differs from that used for cans. For now, the company plans a “phased rollout” that will begin in select markets and stores before scaling up in 2026.
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