Demand behavior of U.S. high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and its implication for the U.S. sweetener market: a cointegration analysis

This paper investigates the relationship between U.S. HFCS demand and refined sugar price. A cointegration analysis is utilized to investigate possible linkages between these markets. The coefficients on the ECM have the expected signs, and they measure adjustments towards long-run equilibrium. The study result also shows that there is cointegration in a relationship including, HFCS price, the refined sugar price, and income. the increase in HFCS demand would affect primarily the quantity of sugar imports negatively. However, this study does not necessarily support such a conclusion due to the exclusion of noneconomic factors such as change in consumer preference and health concern.