In Washington, Sen. Chuck Grassley is leading an effort to close a loophole allowing oil companies to circumvent the tariff on Brazilian ethanol. The loophole allows oil companies to receive a rebate of taxes paid on importing Brazilian ethanol when they export jet fuel. More than 434 million gallons of Brazilian ethanol were imported into the United States last year. “It’s nonsensical to say ethanol is the same as jet fuel,” Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Ia. “The (drawback) law makes no sense.”
There is a 54 cent per gallon tariff in place on Brazilian ethanol imports. The tariff is designed to offset the 51-cent per gallon credit given for each gallon of ethanol blended with gasoline, regardless of where the ethanol is produced. Otherwise, US taxpayers would be subsidizing the Brazilian ethanol industry with the excise tax credit.
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley called on President Bush to direct the Environmental Protection Agency to approve E15, E20, E30 blends.
Grassley said that with E85 not gaining acceptance, the US had to...
In Brazil, Florida governor Charlie Crist said that he opposed the Brazilian ethanol tariff and would lobby the state's Congressional delegation to reduce it. The 54 cent per gallon tariff is sche...
An article in Biofuel Review discusses efforts in the EU to close an ethanol import loophole. Importers are claiming that ethanol blends are subject to Chapter 38 of EU regulations, which exempt it f...
In New York, at the third US Presidential debate, Senator John McCain confirmed that, if elected, he would eliminate US ethanol subsidies and the tariff on Brazilian ethanol. He added that we would cu...
In Iowa, Senator Charles Grassley has written to auto manufacturers asking for their support of efforts to approve E20, by contributing to research on the imapct of E20 on engine performance. Grassley...
In Washington, anonymous advisers close to president-elect Obama have identified former Iowa Governo Tom Vilsack as the front-runner for Secretary of Agriculture. The governor, according to clustersto...