U.S. ethanol exports reached 164.4 million gallons (mg) in July, easing 5% from June yet still running 28% ahead of year-ago levels. The decline was somewhat misleading: shipments of both denatured and undenatured fuel ethanol actually rose, but India’s retreat from the market—taking just 0.5 mg versus 24.2 mg the prior month—pulled the overall total lower. Export activity was concentrated in only a dozen markets. Canada remained the largest destination, climbing 4% to a ten-month high of 67.2 mg. The European Union rebounded 42% to 28.8 mg, led by the Netherlands, while the United Kingdom nearly doubled its imports to 21.1 mg. Other notable shifts included softer demand from Colombia (down 9% to 9.9 mg) and the Philippines (down 21% to 9.5 mg), while Brazil re-entered with a six-month high of 9.2 mg. Exports to Peru jumped 65% to 8.4 mg, the strongest volume in more than four years, with additional shipments rounding out to Mexico (5.0 mg), South Korea (3.8 mg), Jamaica (0.5 mg), Switzerland (0.3 mg), and the aforementioned India. Cumulative year-to-date exports totaled 1.23 billion gallons, up 15% from the same period in 2024.
Imports remained minimal, with the U.S. bringing in just 121,266 gallons of undenatured fuel ethanol from Brazil and Canada during July. For the year to date, imports stand at 3.5 mg.
U.S. exports of dried distillers grains (DDGS), the animal feed co-product generated by dry-mill ethanol plants, expanded 15% in July to 1.06 million metric tons (mt), marking multi-month highs in most major markets. Shipments to top buyer Mexico edged down 1% to a five-month low of 182,255 mt, but strong gains elsewhere more than offset the dip. Exports to South Korea jumped 39% to an 11-month high of 156,811 mt, while Vietnam climbed 26% to an eight-month high of 110,732 mt. The European Union surged 118% to 102,836 mt, the strongest in nearly a year, fueled by Ireland. Together, these four markets accounted for more than half of total U.S. DDGS exports. Other significant buyers included Colombia (up 16% to 93,146 mt), Turkey (up 58% to 79,867 mt), and Canada (up 24% to 62,904 mt). Year-to-date DDGS exports totaled 6.48 million mt, running 6% behind the same period last year.
