U.S. trade officials found imports of sugar from Mexico injure local cane and beet growers, confirming a deal between the two countries that sets prices and a quota for imports and putting an end to an 18-month trade war. The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) voted unanimously “affirmative” in the final stage of a dispute, a decision that was broadly expected and likely to be seen as a win for the powerful U.S. sugar lobby. No duties will be applied to imports from Mexico, after the two countries penned a deal late last year that suspended the tariffs and established minimum prices and quotas for imports. “The decision does not affect the validity and terms of the suspension agreements. We don’t agree with this decision, but it’s not a surprise,” a senior Mexican government official said. The coveted 11-million-tonne U.S. market, which is protected through a complex network of import restrictions, saw volatility ahead of and during the U.S. government anti-dumping probe. A coalition of U.S. producers, which had petitioned their government for protection against surging levels of low-priced imports, applauded the verdict. The ITC decision addresses “unfair trade practices that were injuring American farmers, workers, and taxpayers,” said Phillip Hayes, a spokesman for the American Sugar Alliance. The final decision would bring a measure of certainty in the market, said traders. “People know now what the rules are,” said Frank Jenkins, a veteran U.S. trader and president at JSG Commodities in Norwalk, Connecticut. Sugar prices largely stabilized following news late last year that the United States and Mexico had agreed on a quota and minimum prices for imports of the sweetener from Mexico. The second-month U.S. domestic raw sugar contract on ICE Futures U.S. was up 0.8 percent at 25.20 cents a lb at 1:51 p.m. EDT (1751 GMT) on Tuesday. The Sweetener Users Association, which represents candy companies and other sugar buyers, criticized the verdict, saying ITC “missed a key opportunity” and vowed to step up efforts to reform the U.S. sugar program. The decision can be appealed to the Court of International Trade or to a binational panel review, according to U.S. government regulations.