Chalk up a victory for Florida's sugar industry in the U.S.-Australia free trade agreement announced on Sunday.

Florida sugar is thrilled the pact allows no extra duty-free access for Australian sugar into the U.S. market, helping keep U.S. sugar sales for U.S. producers.

Indeed, U.S. sugar claims credit. The industry has been so outspoken about defeating the proposed U.S.-Central American Free Trade Agreement, which allows more Central American sugar into the United States duty-free, that the Bush administration apparently took note this election year.

"This proves you can negotiate a good trade agreement without having sugar in it," Dalton Yancey, executive vice president of the Florida Sugarcane League said Monday from his office in Washington, D.C.

Australian sugar farmers had been pushing hard for greater U.S. access, but Prime Minister John Howard -- a close ally in the U.S. war on terror -- said he sacrificed sugar and broader access for some other Australian farm products to achieve a far-reaching pact that would benefit the rest of his Pacific nation's economy.

The pact announced Sunday would eliminate duties from 97 percent of manufactured goods that Australia sells the United States and about 99 percent of U.S. manufactured goods sold in Australia, both sides said.

The sugar controversy highlights difficulties in opening world trade in farm products, when the United States, the European Union and Japan spend heavily on subsidies and other agricultural support programs to protect their farmers and when developing nations count on farming as key for jobs.

Talks to craft a 34-nation Free Trade Area of the Americas accord stalled last week in Mexico, largely because of disagreements over farm trade. Brazil and other Latin countries want Washington to make greater concessions to allow citrus, sugar and other farm products into the U.S. market.

The U.S.-Australia free-trade agreement, like the U.S.-Central America accord, is to be presented to Congress for passage this year.

Approval in Australia's Parliament faces hurdles because of opposition by farm interests there.