Renewable Fuels Association Supports U.S. Trade Actions While Calling for Fairer Access to Brazil’s Ethanol Market
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) voiced its support for the Trump administration's trade policies during testimony before the U.S. International Trade Commission, emphasizing the need to address trade barriers affecting U.S. ethanol exports to Brazil.
The organization expressed appreciation for the administration's efforts to improve market access and endorsed the reciprocal tariff imposed on Brazilian imports.
“Prior to the implementation of punitive trade barriers, Brazil and the United States enjoyed an open and efficient two-way trading relationship in ethanol, which resulted in our two nations experiencing a dramatic increase in bilateral ethanol trade,” said RFA General Counsel and Vice President, Government Affairs Ed Hubbard.
“However, beginning in 2017, Brazil unilaterally began abandoning this mutually beneficial approach, instead turning to a pro-tariff policy, clearly erected in an effort to disadvantage U.S. ethanol imports.”
According to Hubbard, Brazil's tariff policies have significantly reduced U.S. ethanol exports. Shipments to Brazil dropped to zero in 2023 before recovering slightly to $43 million in 2024 and $68 million in 2025.
Despite the increase, Brazil represented only 1.3% of total U.S. ethanol exports in 2024 and 1.8% in 2025, a sharp decline from 2018 when the country accounted for roughly one-third of all U.S. ethanol exports.
Hubbard also criticized Brazil's RenovaBio biofuels program, arguing that it places U.S. producers at a competitive disadvantage. Although the policy is expected to create demand for an additional 5 billion gallons of biofuels by 2030, no U.S. ethanol facility has received full certification from Brazilian authorities to generate credits under the program after five years of implementation.
Photo Credit: renewable-fuels-association