In order to protect its domestic sugar cane growers, the government of

In order to protect its domestic sugar cane growers, the government of Country X decided to impose a steep tax on all imported cane juice, which is used a sweetener. As a direct result of this tax, the price of cane juice in Country X rose sharply. After the tax was imposed, all the country's soft drink companies, which had before used cane juice as a sweetener in their drinks, switched to another sweetener, high fructose corn syrup, in order to maintain their cost structures.

Which of the following can be most properly inferred from the passage above?


A. The amount of cane juice required to sweeten one soft drink cost approximately the same as the amount of high fructose corn syrup required to sweeten one soft drink prior to the imposition of the cane juice import tax.

B. Soft drink companies in Country X hoped to sell their products in the same countries that were traditionally known to export cane juice to Country X.

C. The number of sugar cane growers in Country X increased after the imposition of the import tax on cane juice in Country X.

D. Soft drink companies in Country X had considered a switch from cane juice to high fructose corn syrup prior to the decision by the government of Country X to impose the tax on all imported cane juice.

E. The amount of cane juice imported by Country X exceeded the amount produced domestically prior to the imposition of import taxes by the government of Country X.