Brazil looks to limit US ethanol imports to northeast’s off-season

In Brazil, Bloomberg reports that the Brazilian Congress and the national government agreed last week to only allow US duty-free ethanol imports during the northeast region’s off-season of March through August. About 80% of US ethanol exports to Brazil enter via northeastern ports. With the northeast’s off-season coming during the height of the center-south region’s main crushing period when ethanol supplies are at their highest, it could mean there would be limited demand for US ethanol imports during that period.