The Renewable Fuels Association today thanked a bipartisan group of 10 U.S. Senators for urging President Biden to address Brazil’s punitive tariff on U.S. ethanol in meetings today with Brazil President Lula da Silva. As of the beginning of this month, the tariff on American ethanol is 16 percent, rising to 18 percent in 2024; Brazil had removed the tariff in March 2022 to help moderate fuel prices.
“We appreciate the efforts of these senators to remind the White House of the vital importance of free and fair trade,” RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper said. “We hope the Biden administration will work with President Lula da Silva and his administration to restore an open market and reciprocal ethanol trade between our nations. As the world’s leaders in the production and use of low-carbon ethanol, we must set an example of free trade and open markets for other nations to follow.”
The letter was signed by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), John Thune (R-SD), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Roger Marshall (R-KS).
“Brazil’s import tariff will have detrimental effects on American agriculture and ethanol producers,” the Senators wrote. “Currently, U.S. biofuel production supports 555,000 jobs across the country and the U.S. ethanol industry produces roughly 16 billion gallons of clean, renewable fuel annually that helps reduce prices at the pump across the country.”
