In Washington, D.C., Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture intends to make available up to $100 million in competitive grants for activities designed to expand the sale and use of renewable fuels. USDA will make the grant funds available under the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP). Its purpose is […]
In Washington, although Bloomberg reported earlier this week that the Trump Administration was going to revamp how refinery hardship waivers are awarded, Reuters reports that the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency says the agency is still reviewing last month’s ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit that is forcing the […]
In Washington, Bloomberg reports that on the back of a 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling last month that kicked three decisions on small refinery hardship waivers back to the Environmental Protection Agency for reevaluation, a ruling that biofuel proponents expected could dramatically change the way waivers are handed out, the Trump Administration has already […]
In Nebraska, Governor Pete Ricketts sent a letter to American automakers Fiat Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors, urging them to increase production of passenger vehicles designed to run on higher ethanol blends, such as E20, E30, E40, and E85. “If leading U.S. automobile companies take the bold action to design cars to run on higher […]
In Washington, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) and her colleague Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), fought hard to include the biodiesel tax credit in the year-end funding package last year. Now, the two Iowa senators are calling on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to promptly process 2018-2019 biodiesel tax credit claims. In a letter to IRS […]
In Switzerland, Indonesia and the EU met in Geneva last week for a WTO consultation over the revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED). The Palm Oil Monitor reports that the meeting is the culmination of a months-long public battle of words over the introduction of the measure and that the WTO consultations, are where the action […]
In Washington, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the Agriculture Innovation Agenda, a department-wide initiative to align resources, programs, and research to position American agriculture to better meet future global demands. Specifically, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will stimulate innovation so that American agriculture can achieve the goal of increasing production by 40 […]
In India, Bloomberg reports that ahead of US President Trump’s official state visit to New Delhi next week, the two countries are trying to tie up a long-delayed trade agreement that looks to include lowering of duties on Indian imports of some agricultural products, among them dried distillers grains and solubles. The two sides tried […]
In China, Platts reports that as part of its efforts to ease trade tensions with the US, it is pulling back tariffs on close to 700 products, including denatured ethanol, which is meant to significantly help the US ethanol industry who has been suffering due to high tariffs that made exports to that key market […]
In Canada, Minister Mélanie Joly announced 600 new jobs for Bioindustrial Innovation Canada. FedDev Ontario’s C$15 million (about $11.3 million) financial contribution will promote new sustainable innovations and bring business support network to Eastern Ontario. Through this project, 150 businesses and organizations will be assisted and 700 jobs will be created and maintained in southern Ontario. […]
