US Grains Council says wide range of markets for ethanol exports

In Missouri, a recent chart from the U.S. Grains Council illustrates the wide range of markets for U.S. ethanol exports in 2014. This is a change from just four years ago, when more than 80 percent of U.S. ethanol was exported to Brazil, Canada and the European Union.

Exports to the United Arab Emirates, the Philippines and India experienced the strongest growth in 2014. While the UAE is largely importing U.S. ethanol to blend with its gasoline that is later re-exported, and India is importing for industrial purpose, the Philippines has a blend mandate in place. Domestic production in the Philippines has been unable to meet its 10 percent blend mandate making imports necessary.

Currently, the United States has a 55 percent market share in the Philippines and the Council is hopeful there is room to capture more. To help nurture this market, the Council and its partners, Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy and USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service, have planned a busy summer with missions heading to the Philippines and other growing markets like China, Indonesia, India and Japan.