EU undenatured ethanol imports up sharply in June

As EU nations entered the summer driving season in June, the bloc's imports of undenatured ethanol were more than double that of June 2025 and 28pc higher from May, according to EU customs data accessed via Global Trade Tracker (GTT).

• Guatemala climbed to become the EU's largest supplier of ethanol in June, with Guatemalan-origin imports rising by more than 125 times on the month.
• Costa Rica became the bloc's third largest supplier, with EU imports from the country increasing by more than 2.5 times on the month, to 14,975t (see table). A market participant said imports from Costa Rica may be for industrial use.
• According to Kpler data, three cargoes carrying 20,765t of Guatemalan ethanol and 17,041t of Costa Rican ethanol discharged in the EU in 7-28 June, with 15,821t of Guatemalan material and 10,633t of the Costa Rican product being classified specifically as fuel ethanol.
• The 14pc drop in US ethanol imports on the month coincided with a drop in the US ethanol production rate in June, as shown by data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA).
• The Netherlands held its position as the EU's largest importer, and France remained in second place even as its imports fell by 42pc from May to June. France saw an increase in demand for E85 in April and in May. French gasoline prices were over €2/litre in May, pushing even higher in rural areas, while E85 was around €0.83/l.

By Toby Shay