French biodiesel imports decline as diesel demand falls

Market: Biofuels, Oil products
22/10/26

French biodiesel imports fell on the year for a third consecutive month in August, according to customs data. Biodiesel demand lacks support as diesel consumption continues to fall.

France imported a little under 195,000t in August, up from 150,000t in July but 17.5pc less than a year earlier.

Imports fell by 6.4pc on the year in January-August to 1.34mn t. Receipts had been running at record levels until May, but fell in June-August.

French biodiesel imports have lacked support from weakening diesel demand, reduced by high pump prices after the start of the US-Iran war. French petroleum federation Ufip said diesel demand in August was 1.92mn t, lower by 9.2pc on the year and the lowest for any month since Covid-19 pandemic movement restrictions cut consumption to 1.2mn t and 1.7mn t in April and May 2020. Aside from the pandemic, August consumption was the lowest for any month in 14 years.

Belgium was by far the largest biodiesel supplier to France in January-August, accounting for 76pc of its imports at 1.02mn t, up from 870,000t a year earlier, way ahead of Spain, which shipped 160,000t, up from 140,000t in January-August 2025.

Belgian cargoes have continued to load from Ghent and Antwerp at a steady pace in September-October, according to port data and Kpler figures. French domestic producer Groupe Avril has a 100,000 t/yr plant at Ertvelde near Ghent and agribusiness firm Cargill operates its 400,000 t/yr Bioro biodiesel plant at Ghent. Some cargoes from Belgium may also be re-exports.

France's biodiesel imports have been supported by two years of unplanned downtime at Avril's 200,000 t/yr plant at the Mediterranean port of Sete. Workers at the company said they still have no date for a restart, although the firm continues to crush domestic rapeseed and imported canola at the site. It has also recently applied to local authorities to expand the shipping berth at Sete.

French biodiesel exports were 295,000t in January-August, including biodiesel in the B70 blend, a four-year high for the period and up by 29.5pc year on year.

By Adam Porter

French biodiesel imports 000t

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45Z complexity risk diluting US farmer benefits

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