US, Mexico reach deal to continue cattle imports

Spanish Market: Agriculture
08/05/25

The US has agreed to keep ports open to livestock imports from Mexico after the Latin American nation agreed to waive restrictions on efforts to curb the spread of New World Screwworm (NWS).

US agricultural secretary Brooke Collins met with her Mexican counterpart Julio Berdegue in Washington on 7 May and discussed solutions to eradicate NWS. The countries reached agreements that will be beneficial to both parties, Berdegue said on 7 May. This comes after Mexico agreed on 30 April to remove restrictions on specialty aircraft and duties on eradication equipment that are part of the emergency response to curb the spread of NWS.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) threatened to ban live cattle imports from 30 April if Mexico did not eliminate restrictions and duties impeding NWS eradication efforts. NWS can kill infected livestock and was detected in southern Mexico in late 2024, leading to a US ban on Mexican cattle imports in November 2024-January 2025. The ban was lifted in early February after Mexico enforced new cattle screening measures.

The threatened port closures could have pressured the already tight US beef supply, with slaughter down by 6pc and beef production down by 2pc on the year as of 2 May, according to USDA Federal Inspection estimates.

The US imports feeder cattle to support beef production and is looking to fill beef supply shortages caused by a historically small US herd. Cattle imports from Mexico reached 1.25mn head in the 2024 calendar year, representing about 4pc of total cattle slaughtered, according to USDA data.

By Edward Dunlop

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13/06/25

EPA proposes record US biofuel mandates: Update

Updates with new pricing, reactions throughout. New York, 13 June (Argus) — President Donald Trump's administration today proposed requiring record biofuel blending into the US fuel supply over the next two years, including unexpectedly strong quotas for biomass-based diesel. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposal, which still must be finalized, projects oil refiners will need to blend 5.61bn USG of biomass-based diesel to comply with requirements in 2026 and 5.86bn USG in 2027. Those estimates — while uncertain — would be a 67pc increase in 2026 and a 75pc increase in 2027 from this year's 3.35bn USG requirement, above what most industry groups had sought. The proposal alone is likely to boost biofuel production, which has been down to start the year as biorefineries have struggled to grapple with uncertainty about future blend mandates, the halting rollout of a new clean fuel tax credit, and higher import tariffs. The National Oilseed Processors Association said hiking the biomass-based diesel mandate to the proposed levels would bring "idled capacity back online" and spur "additional investments" in the biofuel supply chain. The EPA proposal also would halve Renewable Identification Number (RIN) credits generated from foreign biofuels and biofuels produced from foreign feedstocks, a major change that could increase US crop demand and hurt renewable diesel plants that source many of their inputs from abroad. US farm groups have lamented refiners' rising use of Chinese used cooking oil and Brazilian tallow to make renewable diesel, and EPA's proposal if finalized would sharply reduce the incentive to do so. Biofuel imports from producers with major refineries abroad, notably including Neste, would also be far less attractive. The proposal asks for comment, however, on a less restrictive policy that would only treat fuels and feedstocks from "a subset of countries" differently. And EPA still expects a substantial role for imported product regardless, estimating in a regulatory impact analysis that domestic fuels from domestic feedstocks will make up about 62pc of biomass-based diesel supply next year. The Renewable Fuel Standard program requires US oil refiners and importers to blend biofuels into the conventional fuel supply or buy credits from those who do. One USG of corn ethanol generates one RIN, but more energy-dense fuels like renewable diesel can earn more. In total, the rule would require 24.02bn RINs to be retired next year and 24.46bn RINs in 2027. That includes a specific 7.12bn RIN mandate for biomass-based diesel in 2026 and 7.5bn in 2027, and an implied mandate for corn ethanol flat from prior years at 15bn RINs. EPA currently sets biomass-based diesel mandates in physical gallons but is proposing a change to align with how targets for other program categories work. US soybean oil futures surged following the release of the EPA proposal, closing at their highest price in more than four weeks, and RIN credits rallied similarly on bullish expectations for higher biofuel demand and domestic feedstock prices. D4 biomass-diesel credits traded as high as 117.75¢/RIN, up from a 102.5¢/RIN settle on Thursday, while D6 conventional credits traded as high as 110¢/RIN. Bids for both retreated later in the session while prices still closed the day higher. Proposed targets are less aspirational for the cellulosic biofuel category, where biogas generates most credits. EPA proposes lowering the 2025 mandate to 1.19bn RINs, down from from 1.38bn RINs previously required, with 2026 and 2027 targets proposed at 1.30bn RINs and 1.36bn RINs, respectively. In a separate final rule today, EPA cut the 2024 cellulosic mandate to 1.01bn RINs from 1.09bn previously required, a smaller cut than initially proposed, and made available special "waiver" credits refiners can purchase at a fixed price to comply. Small refinery exemptions The proposal includes little clarity on EPA's future policy around program exemptions, which small refiners can request if they claim blend mandates will cause them disproportionate economic hardship. EPA predicted Friday that exemptions for the 2026 and 2027 compliance years could total anywhere from zero to 18bn USG of gasoline and diesel and provided no clues as to how it will weigh whether individual refiners, if any, deserve program waivers. The rule does suggest EPA plans to continue a policy from past administrations of estimating future exempted volumes when calculating the percentage of biofuels individual refiners must blend in the future, which would effectively require those with obligations to shoulder more of the burden to meet high-level 2026 and 2027 targets. Notably though, the proposal says little about how EPA is weighing a backlog of more than a hundred requests for exemptions stretching from 2016 to 2025. An industry official briefed on Friday ahead of the rule's release said Trump administration officials were "coy" about their plans for the backlog. Many of these refiners had already submitted RINs to comply with old mandates and could push for some type of compensation if granted retroactive waivers, making this part of the program especially hard to implement. And EPA would invite even more legal scrutiny if it agreed to biofuel groups' lobbying to "reallocate" newly exempted volumes from many years prior into future standards. EPA said it plans to "communicate our policy regarding [exemption] petitions going forward before finalization of this rule". Industry groups expect the agency will try to conclude the rule-making before November. The proposed mandates for 2026-2027 will have to go through the typical public comment process and could be changed as regulators weigh new data on biofuel production and food and fuel prices. Once the program updates are finalized, lawsuits are inevitable. A federal court is still weighing the legality of past mandates, and the Supreme Court is set to rule this month on the proper court venue for litigating small refinery exemption disputes. Environmentalists are likely to probe the agency's ultimate assessment of costs and benefits, including the climate costs of encouraging crop-based fuels. Oil companies could also have a range of complaints, from the record-high mandates to the creative limits on foreign feedstocks. American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers senior vice president Geoff Moody noted that EPA was months behind a statutory deadline for setting 2026 mandates and said it would "strongly oppose any reallocation of small refinery exemptions" if finalized. By Cole Martin and Matthew Cope Proposed 2026-2027 renewable volume obligations bn RINs Fuel type 2026 2027 Cellulosic biofuel 1.30 1.36 Biomass-based diesel 7.12 7.50 Advanced biofuel 9.02 9.46 Total renewable fuel 24.02 24.46 Implied ethanol mandate 15 15 — EPA Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

EPA proposes record US biofuel mandates, foreign limits

13/06/25

EPA proposes record US biofuel mandates, foreign limits

New York, 13 June (Argus) — President Donald Trump's administration today proposed requiring record biofuel blending into the US fuel supply over the next two years, including unexpectedly strong quotas for biomass-based diesel. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposal, which still must be finalized, projects that oil refiners will need to blend 5.61bn USG of biomass-based diesel to comply with requirements in 2026 and 5.86bn USG in 2027. That's a 67pc increase in 2026 and a 75pc increase in 2027 from this year's 3.35bn USG requirement, above what most industry groups had sought. The proposal alone is likely to boost biofuel production, which has been down to start the year as biorefineries have struggled to grapple with uncertainty about future blend mandates, the halting rollout of a new clean fuel tax credit, and higher import tariffs. The EPA proposal also would halve Renewable Identification Number (RIN) credits generated for foreign biofuels and biofuels produced from foreign feedstocks, a major change that could increase US crop demand and hurt renewable diesel plants that source many of their inputs from abroad. US farm groups have lamented refiners' rising use of Chinese used cooking oil and Brazilian tallow to make renewable diesel, and EPA's proposal if finalized would sharply reduce the incentive to do so. The Renewable Fuel Standard program requires US oil refiners and importers to blend biofuels into the conventional fuel supply or buy credits from those who do. One USG of corn ethanol generates one RIN, but more energy-dense fuels like renewable diesel can earn more. In total, the rule would require 24.02bn RINs to be retired next year and 24.46bn RINs in 2027. That includes a specific 7.12bn RIN mandate for biomass-based diesel in 2026 and 7.5bn in 2027, and an implied mandate for corn ethanol of 15bn RINs, similar to prior years. EPA currently sets biomass-based diesel mandates in physical gallons but is proposing a change to align with how targets for other program categories work. US soybean oil futures surged following the release of the EPA proposal, and RIN credits rallied similarly. Current year D6 credits, typically generated from conventional ethanol production, traded at 92¢/RIN near the opening of the session before peaking at 110¢/RIN and then retreating slightly. Current year biomass-based diesel D4 RINs followed a similar trajectory, trading up to 116¢/RIN and widening the gap with conventional D6 RINs. Proposed targets are less aspirational for the cellulosic biofuel category, where biogas generates most credits. EPA proposes lowering the 2025 mandate to 1.19bn RINs, down from from 1.38bn RINs previously required, with 2026 and 2027 targets proposed at 1.30bn RINs and 1.36bn RINs, respectively. In a separate final rule today, EPA cut the 2024 cellulosic mandate to 1.01bn RINs from 1.09bn previously required, a smaller cut than initially proposed, and made available special "waiver" credits refiners can purchase at a fixed price to comply. Small refinery exemptions The proposal includes little clarity on EPA's future policy around program exemptions, which small refiners can request if they claim blend mandates will cause them disproportionate economic hardship. EPA predicted Friday that exemptions for the 2026 and 2027 compliance years could total anywhere from zero to 18bn USG of gasoline and diesel. EPA plans to continue a policy from past administrations of estimating future exempted volumes when calculating the percentage of biofuels individual refiners must blend, effectively requiring those with obligations to shoulder more of the burden to meet high-level volume targets. EPA in the proposal said it plans to "communicate our policy regarding [exemption] petitions going forward before finalization of this rule". Industry groups expect the agency will try to conclude the rule-making before November. Notably though, the proposal says little about how EPA is weighing a backlog of more than a hundred requests for exemptions stretching back to 2016. Many of these refiners had already submitted RINs to comply and could push for some type of compensation if granted retroactive waivers, making this part of the program especially hard to implement. An industry official briefed on Thursday ahead of the rule's release said Trump administration officials were "coy" about their plans for the backlog. The proposed mandates for 2026-2027 will have to go through the typical public comment process and could be changed as regulators weigh new data on biofuel production and food and fuel prices. Once the program updates are finalized, lawsuits are inevitable. A federal court is still weighing the legality of past mandates, and the Supreme Court is set to rule this month on the proper court venue for litigating small refinery exemption disputes. By Cole Martin and Matthew Cope Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

EPA draft biofuel blend mandate expected Friday: Update

12/06/25

EPA draft biofuel blend mandate expected Friday: Update

Updates with changes throughout New York, 12 June (Argus) — President Donald Trump's administration plans to release draft biofuel blend mandates for 2026 and 2027 on Friday, according to three people familiar with the matter. The draft quotas, in addition to a separate final rule cutting cellulosic biofuel mandates for last year, exited White House interagency review on Wednesday, the last step before major regulations can be released. The Trump administration has meetings with legislative stakeholders on Friday morning ahead of the public release, three people said. Previously scheduled meetings through the end of the month as part of the interagency review process appear to have been cancelled, another signal that the rules' release is imminent. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said it wants to get the frequently delayed Renewable Fuel Standard program back on its statutory timeline, which would require volumes for 2027 to be finalized before November this year. Any proposal will have to go through the typical public comment process and could be changed. EPA said the rules will be posted on its website once they are signed by Lee Zeldin, the agency's administrator. A coalition of biofuel-producing groups and feedstock suppliers, including the American Petroleum Institute, has pushed EPA to set a biomass-based diesel mandate of 5.25bn USG for 2026, hoping that a record-high target will support biorefineries that have struggled this year. Many plants have idled or run less recently, as uncertainty about future blend mandates, the halting rollout of a new clean fuel tax credit, and tariffs that up feedstock costs all hurt margins. US senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said Thursday that closed biodiesel plants in his state needed a 5.25bn mandate to reopen. Meanwhile, a coalition of independent and small refiners that have long lamented the costs of the program wrote to EPA this week asking for less-aspirational future mandates, including for the conventional category mostly met by corn ethanol. RIN markets were volatile today, trading higher in the morning before slipping lower on fears the mandates would not meet industry expectations. Current year ethanol D6 RINs traded as high as 99¢/RIN before falling as low as 90¢/RIN. Current year biomass-based diesel D4 RINs ended Thursday at 102.5¢/RIN, equal to their close the prior day. Small refinery exemptions loom Zeldin told a House subcommittee last month the agency wanted "to get caught up as quickly as we can" on a backlog of small refiner requests for program exemptions. Courts took issue with EPA's exemption policy during Trump's first term and again during President Joe Biden's tenure, leaving officials now with dozens of waiver requests covering 10 compliance years still pending. It is unclear whether the rule will provide much clarity on EPA's plans for program waivers, but biofuel groups have worried that widespread exemptions would curb demand for their products. The price of Renewable Identification Number (RIN) credits used for program compliance have been volatile this year on rumors about these exemptions, which EPA has called market manipulation. In both the Trump and Biden administrations, EPA estimated future exempted volumes when calculating the percentage of biofuels individual refiners had to blend, effectively requiring those with obligations to shoulder more of the burden to meet high-level volume targets. The agency could continue that approach, but it would be more legally treacherous for the agency to similarly "reallocate" exempted volumes from past years into future standards, lawyers said. EPA by law also has to consult on exemption decisions with the Department of Energy, which a person familiar said was "still going through the scoring process" for assessing some small refinery applications, making quick resolution of the issue unlikely. Unresolved court cases, including a Supreme Court case about the proper venue for small refinery waiver disputes, could also give regulators pause until they know more. Tax credit clarity expected soon Senate committees this week have been releasing their versions of key parts of the major Republican spending bill, and the Senate Finance Committee is expected to do so soon, potentially as early as Friday according to people familiar. The incentive is crucial for biofuel production margins and thus for the viability of EPA mandates too. The version that passed the House last month would extend the "45Z" clean fuel production credit through 2031, bar regulators from considering indirect land use emissions, and restrict eligibility to fuels from North American feedstocks. While various ideas have circulated this year, lobbyists expect the Senate to preserve the general structure of the credit, which throttles benefits based on carbon intensity, rather than reinvent a new subsidy. Still, some Republicans have expressed concern with the House's phaseout of tax credit "transferability", which benefits smaller companies without much tax liability. And major oil refiners with renewable diesel plants reliant on Asian used cooking oil and South American tallow have lobbied for more flexibility around foreign feedstocks. Any changes that up the credit's costs could be controversial too among conservatives worried about the bill's impacts on a mounting federal budget deficit. And the complex tax credit will ultimately need final regulations from the US Department of Treasury clarifying eligibility. At a Senate hearing Thursday, Treasury secretary Scott Bessent said that the Trump administration planned to implement the credit in a way to "not allow for foreign actors to have a back door into the program." By Cole Martin and Matthew Cope Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

EPA readies new biofuel blend mandate proposal

12/06/25

EPA readies new biofuel blend mandate proposal

New York, 12 June (Argus) — President Donald Trump's administration is close to releasing two regulations informing oil refiners how much biofuel they must blend into the conventional fuel supply. The two rules — proposed biofuel blend mandates for at least 2026 and most likely for 2027 as well as a separate final rule cutting cellulosic fuel mandates for last year — exited White House review on Wednesday, the last step before major regulations can be released. Previously scheduled meetings as part of the process appear to have been cancelled, another signal that the rules' release is imminent. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said it wants to get the frequently delayed Renewable Fuel Standard program back on its statutory timeline, which would require volumes for 2027 to be finalized before November this year. Any proposal will have to go through the typical public comment process and could be changed. A coalition of biofuel-producing groups and feedstock suppliers, including the American Petroleum Institute, has pushed EPA to set a biomass-based diesel mandate of 5.25bn USG for 2026, hoping that a record-high target will support biorefineries that have struggled this year. Many plants have idled or run less recently, as uncertainty about future blend mandates, the halting rollout of a new clean fuel tax credit, and tariffs that up feedstock costs all hurt margins. EPA administrator Lee Zeldin also told a House subcommittee last month the agency wanted "to get caught up as quickly as we can" on a backlog of small refiner requests for program exemptions. Courts took issue with EPA's exemption policy during Trump's first term and again during President Joe Biden's tenure, leaving officials now with dozens of waiver requests covering multiple compliance years still pending. It is unclear whether the rule will provide clarity on EPA's plans for program waivers — including whether the agency will up obligations on other parties to make up for exempt small refiners — but biofuel groups have worried that widespread exemptions would curb demand for their products. The price of Renewable Identification Number (RIN) credits used for program compliance have been volatile this year on rumors about these exemptions, which EPA has called market manipulation. RIN trading picked up and prices rose on the news as Thursday's session began. Bids and offers for 2025 ethanol D6 RINs, the most prevalent type currently trading, began the day at 96¢/RIN and 98¢/RIN, respectively. Deals were struck shortly after at 98¢/RIN and 99¢/RIN, with seller interest at one point reaching 100¢/RIN — well above a 95.5¢/RIN settle on Wednesday. Biomass-based diesel D4 RINs with concurrent vintage followed the same path with sellers holding ground as high as 107¢/RIN. By Cole Martin and Matthew Cope Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

EU adopts new Russia, Belarus tariffs

12/06/25

EU adopts new Russia, Belarus tariffs

Brussels, 12 June (Argus) — The EU has now formally adopted new tariffs on remaining Russian and Belarus agricultural products, as well as on a range of fertilizers. The regulation, implementing the tariffs, enters into force on 1 July. EU officials estimate the new agricultural tariffs cover up to 15pc of Russian agricultural exports to the EU in 2023. The EU would, from 1 July, place an additional 50pc tariff customs duty based on value on over 145 CN codes. Goods covered include animal, dairy, live trees and other plants, coffee and meat as well as various animal fats and plant oils, including palm and palm kernel oil. The implementation of tariffs is to take place over three years for nitrogen-based and compound fertilisers. The new tariffs add an additional €40/t on imports of most nitrogen fertilizers — including urea, amsul, AN, CAN, and UAN — from Russia and Belarus, beginning on 1 July. They also add €45/t to the import of DAP, MAP, NPKs, NP and some other grades. The new tariffs are additional to already-existing import tariffs to the EU. For most grades from Russia these import tariffs are set at 6.5pc. From 2026 until 2028 the rates increase to reach levels of €315/t and €430/t respectively for the two product groups. The legal text also foresees immediate application of the highest rates, if cumulative imports exceed 2.7mn t in 2025-2026, 1.8mn t in 2026-2027, or 0.9mn t in 2027-2028. The European Parliament adopted the additional tariffs last month. Like EU states, parliament confirmed the commission's legal proposal, leaving unchanged the rates and phase-in period of tariffs proposed by the commission at the end of January. By Dafydd ab Iago EU proposed import tariffs for Russia and Belarus ( €/t *) Urea, Amsul, AN, CAN, UAN NPKs, DAP, MAP, NP Jul 25-Jun 26 40 45 Jul 26-Jun 27 60 70 Jul 27-Jun 28 80 95 From Jul 28 315 430 *All tariffs on top of 6.5pc import duty. Levels are applicable for a total of 2.7mn t in 2025-26, 1.8mn t in 2026-27, and 0.9mn t in 2027-28. Once the quota has been reached, levels jump to the level from July 28 — EU Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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