August U.S. ethanol exports rebounded 4% to 141.2 million gallons (mg), with the bulk of shipments headed to a dozen countries. Canada remained the top destination for the 41st consecutive month, accounting for 40% of total exports, despite reducing its imports of U.S. ethanol by 8% to 57.0 mg, nearly all of which was denatured fuel. Exports to the European Union surged by 53% to 12.7 mg. Shipments to the United Kingdom dropped by a third to 16.9 mg, and India imported 6% less, totaling 10.7 mg. Exports to Colombia also decreased by 30%, reaching 9.9 mg. Other larger markets included Mexico (8.7 mg, +249%), South Korea (7.9 mg, -18%), Peru (6.7 mg, +382%), Oman (5.6 mg, up from zero), Jamaica (2.7 mg, +1211%), the Philippines (1.1 mg, up from zero), and Singapore (1.0 mg, a tick higher). Notably, Brazil was absent again from the market. U.S. ethanol exports for the first 8 months of the year have reached a record high of 1.24 billion gallons, up 38% from last year at this time.
The U.S. imported 1.9 mg of undenatured fuel ethanol from Brazil and Canada. This was the first time since March that any meaningful imports entered our borders.
U.S. exports of dried distillers grains (DDGS), the animal feed co-product generated by dry-mill ethanol plants, increased 2% in August to a 3-year high of 1.12 million metric tons (mt) amid mixed markets. South Korea’s imports of DDGS surged by 35% to an 8-month high of 166,862 mt, making it the top U.S. DDGS market for the month. In contrast, Mexico’s imports fell 34% to an 8-month low of 163,086 mt. Other notable gains came from Turkey (117,334 mt, +69%), the European Union (105,454 mt, +25%), Vietnam (72,175 mt, +7%), and Israel (59,833 mt, quadrupled to a record high). On the other hand, exports declined to Indonesia (70,676 mt, -4%), Canada (47,923 mt, -19%), China (44,295 mt, -15%), and Thailand (32,503 mt, -21%). The remaining 21% of U.S. DDGS exports were distributed across 29 other countries. Year-to-date DDGS exports have reached 8.09 million mt, 15% higher than the same period last year.
