It is funny that if you expand out the ramifications of protecting an industry, you find that the industry will eventually be killed.
All the farmers loved ethanol, because the price of corn was inflated to re-reach the equilibrium (more demand, same supply, higher price). Great for them short term. But, with higher US corn prices, companies using corn syrup will go elsewhere, like South America. Then, you have high prices and low demand, which is a terrible combination. Also, with the higher prices, poultry and cow farmers would either have to raise their price to the end customer, or switch to grass or other feeds, which will hurt corn growers.
I think, from what Ive seen, that if you want to protect a sector of the market, you better be ready to protect the entire economy. Having free trade while forcing import tarrifs on certain sectors will lead those sectors away from the country.
As Rush Limbaugh pointed out, how much protectionism would be required to ensure that the United States still has a ‘buggy whip’ industry?
If it is cheaper to grow sugar in Cuba and Haiti than Florida, Florida needs to suck it up and get out of the sugar business, not get taxpayer money to grow insanely expensive sugar that you force US candy companies to buy, until they move out of the USA.