Trade in biofuels
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Information about international trade in biofuel feedstocks and products.
Contents |
Imports
- The United States now imports 10% of its ethanol. Citation needed
Exports
Policy
| Country | Ethanol (US$/L) | Biodiesel |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | $0.241 | |
| Brazil | $0.701 | |
| Canada | $0.501 | |
| EU | $0.101 | ad valorem duty of 6.5%2 |
| Japan | $01 | |
| New Zealand | $01 | |
| United States | $0.141 | |
| Source: 1: IEA, 2: [http://www.unctad.org/en/docs/ditcted20064_en.pdf THE EMERGING BIOFUELS MARKET:
REGULATORY, TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT IMPLICATIONS (PDF)] - UNCTAD, 2006 p. 12. | ||
Tariffs
Events
- 30 June - 1 July 2010, Brussels, Belgium: 2010 AEBIOM European Biomass Conference and RENEXPO. (Themes: bioenergy, markets, policy, sustainability, energy crops, wood residues, MSW and more)
- 13 January 2009, Washington, D.C., USA: Global Trade and Environmental Effects of EU Biofuels Policies. Sponsored by the Center for Global Development (CGD). (Themes: European Union, land use, trade)
- 17 April 2009, Chicago, Illinois, USA: Bioenergy North America 2009: Markets and Finance for Biofuels and Biomass. (Themes: markets, finance, technology)
- 30-31 July 2009, Houston, Texas, USA: 2009 Ethanol Bankruptcies & Acquisitions Conference - "The federal stimulus package, the Renewable Fuels Standard, and attractive pricing for distressed ethanol operations have all brought hope to an otherwise uncertain future."[1] (Themes: corporations, ethanol, markets)
- 9-10 September 2009, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: From Crude Oil to Biofuels - Trends Impacting Global Fuels. (Themes: markets, Latin America, technology, trade)
- 3-4 September 2008, Rio de Janiero, Brazil: Biofuels: Lessons from Brazil. (Themes: Brazil, markets, trade)
- 9-10 September 2008, Buenos Aires, Argentina: Biofuels Markets Americas. (Themes: markets, technologies, sustainability)
- 17-18 September 2008, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania: Biofuels Markets East Africa (Themes: jatropha, East Africa, markets, investment)
- 6-7 October 2008, Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Next generation biofuels markets (Themes: next generation biofuels, markets, financing, commercialization)
- 16-17 October 2008, Miami, Florida, USA: 3rd Americas Sugar & Ethanol Trade. (Themes: sugar, ethanol, trade)
- 4 December 2007, Bali, Indonesia (side event at United Nations Conference on Climate Change): Towards a Strategy for Sustainable Production and Trade of Bioenergy. Organised by ICTSD and in collaboration with IEA Bioenergy Task 40 and Stockholm Environment Institute.
- From the description: "Given the divide between regions with the largest demand and those with the highest production potential, international trade in biofuels and feedstocks is expected to grow in the years to come. Several trade and policy issues arise in this context, relating to the removing of barriers to international trade and to the crafting of trade rules, but also to the broader implications for trade in agriculture and industrial products that are involved in the production and processing of biofuels....This event will bring together a panel of experts from intergovernmental organisations, government and policy research institutions to address this vast array of economic, social and environmental questions that arise as countries formulate their policies on biofuels."[2]
News
- EU slaps duties on U.S. biodiesel imports: sources, 3 March 2009 by Reuters: "A key European Union trade panel approved on Tuesday temporary anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties on imports of biodiesel from the United States, sources with knowledge of the decision said."
- "From March 13, U.S. firms exporting biodiesel into the EU will have to pay additional tariffs for an initial six months, ranging from 26 euros ($32.88) to 41 euros per 100 kg."
- "The EU firms say exporters in the United States are involved in so-called 'splash and dash,' whereby they import cheaper biodiesel from countries such as Brazil and add less than 5 percent of U.S. mineral diesel so they can pick up the subsidy from Washington before exporting to Europe."[3]
- Sustainability criteria must be science based, verifiable and WTO-compatible (Malaysian Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities), 25 February 2009, by the World Refining Association: Malaysia's Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities, the Hon. Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui, stated in an interview that “We urge the EU to ensure that its sustainability scheme does not discriminate against third country producers and that the criteria used are science based, verifiable and WTO-compatible".
- Weak oil and imports turn EU biofuel boom to gloom, 24 February 2009 by Reuters: "European euphoria over biofuel has ended after slumping oil prices and cheap imports battered the sector last year, while the credit crisis has made the outlook even gloomier."
- "European producers of biodiesel -- by far the main biofuel made in the bloc -- also blamed their troubles on cheap subsidized imports, mainly from the United States."
- "The European Commission, the EU executive, plans next month to propose imposing anti-dumping duties on U.S. biodiesel, a measure that could provisionally take effect a month later, sources familiar with the proposal told Reuters last week."[4]
- Biofuel policies in OECD countries costly and ineffective, says report, 16 July 2008 press release by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD): The OECD’s report, Economic Assessment of Biofuel Support Policies (PDF file), "calls for more open markets in biofuels and feedstocks in order to improve efficiency and lower costs."[5]
- US and EU urged to cut biofuels, 7 July 2008, BBC World News: "World Bank President Robert Zoellick has called for reform of biofuel policies in rich countries, urging them to grow more food to feed the hungry."
- Biofuels Battle: Tear Down The Brazilian Wall, 1 July 2008 in the Wall Street Journal's Environmental Capital blog: "Biofuels have few friends lately. But Brazil’s biofuel industry found a big one —- U.S. Senator Richard Lugar."
- Biofuels in Brazil: Lean, green and not mean, 26 June 2008 in The Economist. The article argues that ethanol from Brazilian sugar cane is environmentally friendly and unlikely to impact food prices, and that the US should drop its tariff on imported ethanol.
- EU, US and Brazil release report on biofuels specifications to expand trade, 4 February 2008, Biopact. In order to further free trade markets in biofuels around the world, the three leading biofuels producers have put together an analysis of current biofuel specifications.
- Europe threatens trade war over US biodiesel subsidies, 22 May 2007 from The Independent. The European Biodiesel industry is claiming that the US "B99" subsidy is undercutting their industry. Particularly galling is the "splash and dash" loophole, which has allowed US traders to buy biodiesel in Europe, ship it back to the US, blend it <1% gasoline to earn the subsidy and ship it back to Europe. This is seen as undercutting both European producers as well as undercutting the greenhouse gas benefits of biofuels.
- Government claims its hands are tied over harmful biofuels 04 February 2007 from the Independent. As the UK biofuels mandate is being considered, a Government spokesman has stated that requiring biofuels to be purchased from government sources would violate WTO rules.
Publications
- International Bioenergy Trade - scenario study on international biomass markets in 2020 (.pdf), Jussi Heinimö, Virpi Pakarinen, Ville Ojanen and Tuomo Kässi; Lappeenranta University of Technology, Research Report 181, prepared for the IEA Bioenergy Task 40, 2007.
- Biomass fuel trade in Europe Summary Report VTTR0350807 by Eija Alakangas, Antti Heikkinen, Terhi Lensu & Pirkko Vesterinen; VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Eubionet.com, March 2007. This report examines the trade in solid biofuels in Europe. Currently, biomass pellets are the most traded form of biomass fuel in Europe.
- Biofuels production, trade and sustainable development: emerging issues by Anne Dufey, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), November 2006.
- International trade in biofuels: Good for development? And good for environment? by Anne Dufey, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), January 2007.
- WTO Disciplines and Biofuels: Opportunities and Constraints in the Creation of a Global Marketplace(PDF) - International Food & Agricultural Trade Policy Council, October 2006.
- Biofuels – Advantages and Trade Barriers prepared by Coelho, Suani Teixeira, UNCTAD, February 2005.
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