EU undenatured ethanol imports up sharply in June

Spanish Market: Biofuels
24/08/26

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

EU ethanol imports from outside the bloc								t
	June 26	May 26	±% mth/mth	June 25	±% yr/yr	YTD	YTD 2025	±% YTD

Imports by origin
Guatemala	33,947	270	12,455	99	34,336	77,560	71,611	8
US	17,082	19,906	-14	5,158	231	114,541	69,257	65
Costa Rica	14,975	5,548	170	n/a	n/a	20,524	13,825	48
Other origins	59,378	72,582	-18	55,539	7	353,923	376,428	-6
Imports by destination
Netherlands	84,757	50,163	69	16,234	422	357,855	260,640	37
France	8,544	14,714	-42	13,342	-36	46,873	54,859	-15
Italy	8,469	6,822	24	11,040	-23	27,560	47,224	-42
Other destinations	23,612	26,607	-11	20,180	17	134,259	168,398	-20
Total	125,382	98,307	28	60,796	106	566,547	531,121	7
— GTT

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25/08/26

Outbound Hormuz transits drop to zero: Update

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Outbound Hormuz transits drop to zero

25/08/26

Outbound Hormuz transits drop to zero

New York, 25 August (Argus) — No vessels exited the strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours, following increased Iranian enforcement action including an attack on an oil tanker traveling within the US-supported southern transit corridor near the Omani coast. A total of four vessels entered the strait of Hormuz on 24 August, including three vessels on the northern transit lane and one tanker on the southern lane with no outbound transits recorded, according to maritime security firm Windward. The amount of vessel traffic on the southern lane in particular has come under increased scrutiny in recent weeks with the US claiming higher amounts of traffic through the waterway than can be corroborated independently. There may have been at least one other vessel transit via the southern lane that was aborted after an oil tanker was hit off the coast of Oman, disabling the vessel but leaving the crew uninjured, according to the UK Maritime Trade Organization (UKMTO). Meanwhile, Iran's newly established Persian Gulf Strait Authority's declaration of 46 vessels as non-compliant is raising concerns that more shipowners may choose to avoid Mideast Gulf trades altogether. The strike is likely to be an enforcement action by the Iranians who are seeking to consolidate their control over traffic through the strait of Hormuz by attacking vessels on their non-preferred transit lanes. Iranian attacks on vessels traveling near Oman have accounted for 14 out of the 16 projectile strike incidents on commercial vessels in the strait of Hormuz reported since 6 July, per UKMTO. Traffic through the strait of Hormuz since the breakout of the war at the end of February has largely been bifurcated between the northern Iranian-controlled lane and the southern, US-assisted transit lane, with the center lane used prior to the conflict believed by shippers to be mined. US president Donald Trump said in a social media post on Tuesday that "all mines have been removed and/or detonated from within the international waters of the Strait of Hormuz" warning Iran not to place new mines citing a "Zero Tolerance policy on mine placement in full force and effect." But shippers avoiding Iran's northern corridor will likely remain concentrated on Omani coastline transits as long as Iranian attacks continue even if the center of the strait was totally demined just given the increased distance from drone and missile launch sites. Meanwhile, Oman's Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi on 24 August arrived in Tehran, where Iran and Oman are currently holding talks on the strait of Hormuz. Iran and Oman engaged in negotiations at the start of August on management of vessel traffic through the strait of Hormuz which would give Iran complete oversight on vessels entering the Mideast Gulf, which prompted the international shipping community to express concern that proposed plan would fall short of the principles of freedom of navigation. By Charlotte Bawol Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Brazil expands Petrobras SAF co-processing

24/08/26

Brazil expands Petrobras SAF co-processing

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US' new Iran campaign tries to spread the pain

24/08/26

US' new Iran campaign tries to spread the pain

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Brazil, US to meet on tariffs after Lula-Trump call

24/08/26

Brazil, US to meet on tariffs after Lula-Trump call

Sao Paulo, 24 August (Argus) — Brazilian and US representatives will meet this week to discuss US tariffs on Brazilian imports imposed in July, following a phone call between the presidents of both countries last week. The US' trade representative Jamieson Greer reached out to the Brazilian government shortly after presidents Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Donald Trump spoke on the phone last week , according to Brazilian officials. Lula told Trump then that the US' 25pc tariffs on Brazilian products were "unfounded". Brazil's trade minister Marcio Rosa and representatives from the foreign affairs ministry will meet with the US' Office of Trade Representative (USTR) this week, the Brazilian government said, but a specific date was not disclosed. The USTR imposed the tariffs as a result of a year-long "Section 301" investigation into unfair Brazilian trade practices, citing a restrictive ethanol market as one of the reasons for the probe. Other factors included concerns over organized crime, corruption, deforestation and unfair competition from Brazil's digital payments system, Pix. Although many products — such as pig iron, iron ore, rare-earth metals, crude, coffee and beef — are exempt from the tariffs, many others, such as ethanol, sugar and beef tallow, are not. By Lucas Parolin Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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