U.S Grains & BioProducts secures significant corn ethanol exports to Japan

In Japan, the U.S Grains & BioProducts Council estimates that U.S. corn ethanol exports to Japan for use as ETBE reached approximately 197 million gallons in 2025, worth $400 million and accounting for roughly 90 percent of Japan’s total ethanol imports. The Council achieved this outcome with a $60,000 investment of MAP funds in FY 2025 — delivering an ROI of $6,700 for every $1 of MAP funds invested.

Through sustained pressure and technical engagement, the Council persuaded Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) to update the carbon intensity values for U.S. corn ethanol and the gasoline baseline. This update opened full market access for U.S. corn ethanol as Ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE), an octane-boosting gasoline additive produced from ethanol for gasoline blending under Japan’s 218-million-gallon-per-year mandate.