WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley, a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today led a bipartisan group of senators, including Sens. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), urging U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to work with the Brazilian government to end a recently reinstated 20 percent tariff on ethanol imports in excess of 600 million liters (158 million gallons) annually. In 2016, the United States exported 264 million gallons of ethanol to Brazil, and current trends indicate 2017 could be even larger for U.S. producers. The United States is the primary exporter of ethanol into Brazil. U.S. producers called Brazil’s tariff plan “a trade barrier that threatens over $750 million in U.S. exports and American jobs.”
“The U.S. renewable fuels industry has invested heavily in ethanol plants, feedstock development and infrastructure over the last several decades to advance the industry,” the senators wrote. “Similar investments have been made in many other countries including Brazil. Unfortunately, seemingly arbitrary or protectionist tariffs are threatening to disrupt the growing global market that has developed for ethanol. We look forward to working with you to address the concerns regarding Brazil’s actions.”
The full text of the letter can be found by clicking here.
