US biomass-based diesel imports grew 26% in 2019

In Washington, the Energy Information Agency says U.S. imports of biomass-based diesel, which include biodiesel and renewable diesel, grew 26% in 2019 to more than 27,000 barrels per day (b/d), reversing three years of decline. Imports of biomass-based diesel increased in 2019 because of the increase in renewable diesel imports from Singapore.

The majority of biomass-based diesel imports in 2019 came from renewable diesel imports—which have been sourced exclusively from Singapore since 2015—and rose 49% to a record of nearly 17,000 b/d in 2019. Since 2016, all U.S. renewable diesel imports have entered the country in California, most likely for compliance with the LCFS because renewable diesel has one of the lowest carbon intensities of the approved pathways for LCFS compliance.

Biodiesel imports from Canada accounted for the majority of the U.S. biodiesel imports in 2019, totaling 5,100 b/d, with the remainder coming from European countries. Biodiesel from Canada has regularly been imported into the United States to capture U.S. tax incentives and contribute toward U.S. renewable fuel programs.