US ethanol prices deterring exports at 18-month highs

In Illinois, ethanol prices could pull back from an 18-month high as producers ramp up production to take advantage of higher margins. The high prices are already impacting export demand with little or no business being booked at these levels, while the prices could even be high enough to trigger a limited import window until producers are able to ramp up production enough to bring them back down. Ethanol stocks are at their lowest level this year while corn and oil futures have been rising, providing support to ethanol prices.