Japanese ethanol imports rise 17% on year

In Japan, Platts reports that August ethanol imports rose to 61,681 cubic meters, up 17% on the year and nearly 10% higher on the month. Brazil supplied nearly 61% of the 54,686 cu m of undenatured ethanol imports but the US managed to sneak in just over 15% of the total. Brazil remains the supplier of denatured ethanol for ETBE blending despite regulations easing earlier this year to allow the US to supply as well but it only accounted for less than 7,000 cu m in August.