India’s ethanol blending mandate opens import window to supply chemical demand

In India, Platts expects the country to be a growing import destination for US-produced ethanol as more of the domestic production is diverted towards the ever-higher blending mandate, leaving a gap for chemical industries to fill with imports. Compared to less than less than 62,000 cu m imported during 2013/14, the USDA is estimating imports of 440,000 cu m this year and 600,000 cu m next year. Already this year imports have soared, with 102,597 cu m heading to India from the US between February and April.