Ethanol leads surge in U.S. agricultural exports

Jul 24, 2024

U.S. Ethanol exports poised to set new record

By Farms.com

This year marks a significant milestone for U.S. ethanol exports, as announced by the U.S. Grains Council at the Corn Congress.

With projections set at 1.7 billion gallons, the U.S. is expected to surpass its previous record, indicating a 50% increase compared to last year. Canada and Brazil are among the top markets, with Canada potentially becoming the first billion-gallon market for U.S. ethanol.

Trade challenges, like Brazil's imposed tariff, are being addressed through advocacy efforts in Washington, aiming to enhance trade conditions and promote ethanol as a competitive biofuel on the global stage.

Additionally, the classification of corn starch ethanol as an advanced biofuel is pursued to leverage its potential in the sustainable aviation fuel sector.

Corn exports are also performing strongly, up 27% year over year, largely driven by demand from Mexico. This is in spite of political efforts within Mexico to limit GMO corn imports, highlighting the effectiveness of U.S. trade advocacy.

Distillers grains have similarly seen a 17% increase in exports, with the U.S. Grains Council's market development efforts paying off in diverse markets.

Funding boosts like the $17 million from the Regional Agricultural Promotion Program enhance these efforts, focusing on both immediate trade challenges and long-term market development for U.S. agricultural products.

This robust growth in exports across ethanol, corn, and distillers grains underscores the strategic importance of agricultural trade policies and the proactive role of the U.S. Grains Council in fostering global market opportunities for U.S. agriculture.

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