Brazilian ethanol imports fell 21% in 2020

In Brazil, Platts reports data from the Secretariat of Foreign Trade, SECEX, shows ethanol imports during 2020 fell 21% on the year to 1 billion liters while the main importing region, the North Northeast, saw imports fall 61% on the year to just 384 million liters. Import demand was decimated by the weakness of the Brazilian real, making imports too expensive, lower domestic demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and limits to duty-free imports from the US.