This Sunday, millions of children will wake up with a basket full of candy, eggs, and other goodies. According to the National Confectioners Association, Easter is the second biggest holiday of the year for confectionery purchases (after only Halloween). In fact, 90 million chocolate bunnies and 16 billion jelly beans are made each year for Easter alone.
One such company supplying these treats is GSP Supporter List signatory Jelly Belly Candy Company. Jelly Belly makes its beans in Fairfield, California and North Chicago, Illinois. Its distribution center in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin help supply supermarkets and candy stores throughout the country. If you can’t make it to Northern California to see how jelly beans are made, you can take a virtual tour.
As we posted back in February, more than $150 million worth of “sugar confections” (including white chocolates) and chocolate products entered the United States duty free in 2010, saving more than $8.5 million. After Congress returns from its Easter/Passover recess in early May – maybe with some leftover jelly beans in tow – hopefully they’ll realize all the companies GSP expiration is hurting and get to work to renew it.
