Trump-Approved Coke Is Getting a Limited Rollout
Bottles of Mexican Coca-Cola on the shelves of the Tarascas Latino Supermarket in Lawrenceville, Georgia. (AP Photo/Ric Feld, File)
Coca-Cola is introducing a new version of Coke made with American-grown cane sugar, following encouragement from President Trump. However, the rollout faces a major hurdle: the U.S. doesn’t produce enough cane sugar to meet immediate demand.
CFO John Murphy told Bloomberg that the company has begun introducing the cane-sweetened variant, but supply constraints mean it will be a “measured roll-out” for now. “There is only a certain amount of cane sugar available in the United States,” Murphy said.
The company first announced in July that it was developing a U.S. market version using the Trump-endorsed sweetener. Only about 30% of the nation’s sugar comes from domestic cane, with the remainder coming from sugar beets and imports. Limited production capacity, especially for glass bottles, also complicates the launch.
“If you look at the success of Mexican Coke in the United States, it’s a combination of the product and the package, and we’re very keen to offer that same combination using American cane sugar,” Murphy added. A company spokesperson told CNN that the new Coke will initially be available in select cities and retailers.
Traditionally, U.S.-made Coke uses the cheaper high-fructose corn syrup. President Trump highlighted the new cane-sugar Coke on Truth Social, urging Coca-Cola to prioritize domestic ingredients. Yet Bloomberg notes that practical challenges like tariffs, shifting trade policies, and production bottlenecks make it difficult for companies to quickly respond to political initiatives.
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