Now, should the U.S. be importing so much sugar? Definitely not. After all, artificial sugar condiments are actually killing you, and while it’s one thing to sprinkle in a little when you drink coffee, Americans now (unintentionally) eat three desserts a day, to the point where Healthline called America’s sugar obsession an “epidemic.” Scary? It should be. However, rather than treating this sudden sugar shortage as a warning sign from the heavens, the U.S. is instead getting ready for a major importation spree. Because, you know, the candy industry demands it. Sugar producers have already told the candy companies that the regular supply just ain’t coming, so they’re looking to nab the sweet stuff from places like Mexico and Thailand. This is a big change from the past four decades, where the U.S. monitored sugar imports like a hawk, hitting most of the world with super-high tariffs that keeps sugar pricey, U.S. farmers happy … and Americans paying more for candy products than the rest of the world. What, you didn’t realize? Sorry.

This year, the U.S. sugar industry must import more sugar than it has since 1981 (3.86 million tons) just to stay afloat, most of it coming from Mexico. This ensures that Americans continue to get their desired sugar fix, but also require a more complicated development process, since the refined, homegrown beet sugar that most companies are used to will have to swapped out for raw sugar cane. The jury’s out on how this will impact the future, of course, because it’s not like today’s climate conditions will get any nicer.