Actually HFCS are entirely a product of the US Sugar program, which among other things restricts importation of sugar to drive up the price of domestic sugar. In the 1980s this made HFCS from milling corn into a cheaper liquid substitute for sugar. Thats when the soft drinks switched over. HFCS historically cost more to make than sugar but is made competitive only by govt intervention in the sugar market. If the US had market access to global sugar HFCS would not be competitive, Americans pay 5x more for sugar which creates the opening for HFCS.