In Malaysia, the Borneo Post newspaper reports that the Polish Ambassador to Malaysia says his country opposes the European Union’s plan to ban the use of palm oil as biofuel feedstock and as such doesn’t intend to reduce its imports, even though it is one of the EU’s largest rapeseed producers. He said that the […]
In Belgium, Platts reports that although the European Union lifted the EUR62.30/ton tariff on US ethanol, bringing to an end several years of anti-dumping tariffs, a significant increase of US-origin ethanol imports isn’t expected due to the Renewable Energy Directive’s requirement that biofuels be certified sustainable with no less than 50% greenhouse gas emissions reductions. […]
In Washington, Reuters reports that Democratic presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar wants to see how the Environmental Protection Agency approves applications for hardship waivers under the Renewable Fuel Standard reformed, calling the current requirements “misguided”. She also said financial institutions manipulate RIN trading. The candidate, who only garnered 1% of voter support in a Reuters/Ipsos poll […]
In Washington, D.C., House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-MN) and Representative Dusty Johnson (R-SD) introduced the Renewable Fuel Standard Integrity Act of 2019 last week. The bill would require refineries seeking an exemption from the RFS to submit petitions in a timely manner so that any waivers granted would be prospectively reallocated to non-exempt […]
In Washington, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) to launch an independent investigation into whether top EPA officials violated the law by inappropriately exempting a number of oil refineries from having to use legally required levels of biofuel. A recent report from Reuters exposed […]
In Washington, thirteen trade groups representing farmers, rural lenders, crop and biobased oil producers, and biodiesel producers wrote leaders of the House of Representatives and Senate, asking them to take action on bipartisan legislation to extend the biodiesel tax incentive. “America’s farmers and rural communities are facing a mounting economic threat. With your leadership, Congress […]
In Belgium, in the absence of objections by European Parliament and Council on the proposed text within the given two-month scrutiny period, the European Commission has published in the Official Journal the Delegated Act on the determination of high indirect land-use change-risk feedstock and the certification of low indirect land-use change-risk biofuels. The Delegated Regulation […]
In Argentina, Reuters reports that the government is pushing the US to hurry up its process reviewing whether or not Argentine biodiesel negatively impacts the US’s domestic biodiesel industry so biodiesel exports can resume as quickly as possible. Before tariffs were imposed, biodiesel accounted for about a quarter of the US’s imports from Argentina. The […]
In Washington, D.C., U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Ranking Member Ron Wyden of Oregon announced the formation of several bipartisan taskforces to examine temporary tax provisions that expired, or will expire, between December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2019 – a total of 42 provisions – including biofuel related ones […]
In the UK, the Serious Fraud Office confirmed that it has opened a joint investigation with the Dutch authorities concerning certain aspects of biodiesel trading at Greenergy and various third parties. Searches were conducted on April 30 at five sites across the UK and additional sites in the Netherlands and Belgium. Four individuals have been […]
