India rejects US request to lower 150% import duty on denatured ethanol

In India, Cogencis news agency reports that the country’s commerce ministry has rejected the US’s attempts at a lower duty on denatured ethanol, which currently attracts 150% duty. The ministry said the duty rate was important in order to protect domestic sugar mills, the potable ethanol industry and farmers. The country is investing heavily through subsidies and soft loans to boost domestic ethanol production for blending with gasoline as well, so lowering the duty would go counter to that policy shift.