Australia excludes UCO, hydrogen from feedstock plan

: Agriculture, Biofuels, Chemicals, Hydrogen
25/10/02

The Australian Labor government's bioenergy feedstock strategy will exclude feedstocks not directly produced from primary industries, according to a discussion paper released today.

The strategy aims to support the growth of feedstock supply chains through policy and will complement Australia's A$1.1bn ($728mn) Cleaner Fuels Program, according to the country's agriculture minister Julie Collins.

Feedstocks excluded from the strategy include used cooking oil (UCO), municipal waste and non-biogenic feedstocks, such as green hydrogen used for power-to-liquid fuels. It will instead focus on feedstocks from Australia's agriculture and forestry sectors, including canola, tallow, biomass, sugar cane and sorghum.

Australia's nascent hydrogen sector, including power-to-liquid projects, are eligible for subsidies under Canberra's Hydrogen Headstart program. A total of A$2bn was earmarked for the first round.

The government intends to invest in the most viable bioenergy pathways such as the hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) pathway, instead of emerging pathways such as Fischer-Tropsch (FT), alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) and power-to-liquid methods.

The strategy is one part of a broader collection of Australia's government policies aiming to support the domestic production of biofuels to achieve net-zero by 2050, and reduce emissions by 62-70pc below 2005 levels by 2035, the discussion paper said.

Companies have until 7 November to respond to the strategy and submissions will be released on 21 November. The government has yet to release a discussion paper on its Cleaner Fuels Program.

By Grace Dudley

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25/11/18

Rio Tinto backs low-CO2 iron plant: Correction

Corrects figure for the amount of hydrogen needed by Fortescue to produce iron in paragraph 4 Sydney, 18 November (Argus) — UK-Australian iron ore producer Rio Tinto will invest A$35mn ($23mn) into Australian technology developer Calix to help it build a 30,000 t/yr hydrogen-based direct reduction iron and hot briquetted iron demonstration plant in Kwinana. Rio Tinto's investment package includes A$8mn in cash, 10,000t of Pilbara iron ore, and other in-kind support, Calix said on 17 November. Rio Tinto will be able to market and use Calix's developing technology, on a non-exclusive basis, under the deal, the iron ore producer said. Rio Tinto's Pilbara ore will support early work at the demonstration plant. But Calix will use a range of ore grades and types at the site, including lower-grade fines. Lower-emissions iron projects generally use higher-grade magnetite ore. Calix's Zero Emissions Steel Technology (Zesty) process uses 54kg of hydrogen to produce 1t of iron, the company said on 23 July. Australian producer Fortescue expects to use 51kg of hydrogen to make 1t of iron. Calix plans to open its Zesty demonstration plant in 2028. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency awarded Calix a A$45mn grant to support the project in July. Calix will build the plant on the proposed site of Rio Tinto's BioIron pilot plant. Rio Tinto has planned to produce 1 t/hr of iron using biomass and iron ore at the site. But the company is still working on BioIron's final design, it said today. Rio Tinto has not announced a timeline for its BioIron project. Rio Tinto is also working on other low-emission iron projects. It is part of the NeoSmelt consortium — made up of five major metals and energy producers — that is developing a 30,000-40,000 t/yr direct reduction iron plant. NeoSmelt may further process iron produced by Calix, Rio Tinto said. By Avinash Govind Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

US removes tariffs on Australian, New Zealand beef

25/11/17

US removes tariffs on Australian, New Zealand beef

Sydney, 17 November (Argus) — US president Donald Trump removed baseline tariffs on Australian and New Zealand beef on 14 November, returning their tariffs to pre-April levels. The executive order published on 14 November but effective for "goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption" after 12:01am ET on 13 November also reduces tariffs on beef from other major exporters, including Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil . The baseline tariffs introduced on 2 April squeezed margins for US importers and Australian and New Zealand exporters, who were already facing volatile trade conditions and shifting consumer demand . The tariff changes reflect the need to import agricultural products the US cannot produce in sufficient quantities, the White House said. The US cattle herd fell to a 50-year low in July due to drought conditions, according to the USDA, and the ongoing border closure with Mexico is curbing the supply of feeder cattle. Australia, Argentina and Uruguay's 10pc baseline beef tariffs were removed, along with New Zealand's 15pc baseline tariff, but Brazil's 50pc tariff was cut to 40pc for beef and other agricultural products, not including its 26.4pc out-of-quota tariff rate triggered in January. The steep effective tariff rate on Brazilian beef has made it uncompetitive for US importers, driving stronger demand and bids for Australian and New Zealand products. Australian beef exports to the US remained strong despite the 10pc tariff. The country's beef exports to the US climbed by 17pc on the year to 1.27mn t in January-October, data from Australia's Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) show. Meanwhile, exports of Brazilian beef to the US more than halved on the year to 10,824t in October because of the combined tariffs of 76pc imposed in early August, according to Brazil's development, industry, trade and services ministry. Australia benefitted most under the previous structure, but removing New Zealand's higher tariff now creates a more level playing field among beef suppliers in the region. Australia enjoyed tariff-free in-quota exports to the US, avoiding the 4.4¢/kg in-quota tariff applied to other exporters excluding Mexico and Canada. New Zealand has 60,900t and Australia has 78,700t of US beef export quotas remaining for the calendar year as of 29 September, according to the US Customer and Border Protection. Beef production in New Zealand will likely rise in the coming weeks as summer begins, but values currently offered by New Zealand's processors have been considered too high, traders said, which may change following the tariff cut. New Zealand beef imports into the US have incurred tariffs costs of over NZ$300mn ($170mn) since April, according to lobby group Beef and Lamb New Zealand. Australian and New Zealand beef tallow is excluded from the latest amendments. Tariffs on other exports, including coffee, tea, tropical fruits, cocoa and spices were also reduced. By Grace Dudley and Ed Dunlop Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Trump trims Brazil beef, coffee, fruit tariffs by 10pc

25/11/15

Trump trims Brazil beef, coffee, fruit tariffs by 10pc

Sao Paulo, 14 November (Argus) — US president Donald Trump lifted 10pc tariffs on imports of Brazilian beef, coffee and fruits imposed in April, but 40pc tariffs imposed in August and other quota-tied fees remain in effect. The executive order goes into effect retroactively on "goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption" after 12:01am ET on 13 November. Brazil is a major supplier of these products to the US. Brazil's foreign affairs minister Mauro Vieira and the US secretary of state Marco Rubio have discussed tariffs in recent weeks . Starting in early August, a combination of tariffs equaling 76pc were imposed on US imports of Brazilian beef, cutting those volumes in half . Australia currently fills most US needs for beef, which are subject to a 10pc tariff. While Brazil had a 50pc tariff on in-quota shipments and a 76.4pc tariff on out-of-quota shipments, that has now been reduced by 10 percentage points. US beef imports are forecast at 2.433mn t in 2025, up 16pc from 2024, before easing slightly to 2.245mn t in 2026, according to the US Department of Agriculture. But margins remain tight, squeezed by the volatile tariffs and shifting consumer behavior, importers and exporters said. Tariffs also reduced shipments of Brazilian coffee and orange juice , other key products exported to the US. By João Curi Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Cop: 10 countries pledge to align transport with 1.5ºC

25/11/14

Cop: 10 countries pledge to align transport with 1.5ºC

Belem, 14 November (Argus) — A group of 10 countries led by Chile called for a global effort to cut energy demand from the transport sector by 25pc by 2035, aligning it with the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. The coalition was formed at the UN Cop 30 climate summit, which is underway in Belem, northern Brazil. Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain are the other signatory countries so far. "We are committed to making transport a key pillar of climate action, agreeing a shared framework for resilient and low emissions transport systems", Chile's transport minister Juan Carlos Munoz told journalists at Cop 30. Cutting energy demand from transport — the second-largest emitting sector — allows for "a clear measurable direction towards a net zero scenario in the transport sector in 2050", he added. Chile is a natural leader for the coalition as it is a global leader in efforts to electrify its public transport fleet. The country's capital Santiago is the city with most electric buses outside of China, Munoz said. It had around 3,000 electric buses in 2024, according to a report by Agora Verkehrswende, a non-governmental organisation focused on climate neutrality in transport. But it will have 4,400 by March, Munoz added. The coalition will now work to create a roadmap to reach the pledge's goal and measure progress for future Cops, according to Slocat, a global partnership that promotes sustainable, low-carbon transport. Sustainable fuels, renewable sources Although the pledge will heavily rely on electrification, it also calls on countries to shift one-third of energy powering transport to sustainable biofuels and renewable sources. Brazil is the second-biggest biofuel producer globally, trailing only behind the US. But it will consider any route that both decarbonizes its fleet and drives national industry, Brazilian minister of cities Jader Barbalho Filho told Argus , mentioning specifically liquid nitrogen and biomethane. Including existing and expected projects, Brazil could have 2.4mn m³/d of biomethane capacity by 2027, data from hydrocarbons regulator ANP show. The shift to sustainable biofuels and renewables sources plays well into Brazil's Belem 4x pledge , which calls for a global effort to quadruple global output and use of sustainable fuels by 2035, Filho added. "The Chilean government looked for us [to present the transport pledge] exactly because we already have [Belem 4x]", he said. The Belem 4x pledge now has 23 country signatories, Cop 30 chief executive Ana Toni said today. By Lucas Parolin Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

EU deforestation law may be delayed further: IPOC

25/11/14

EU deforestation law may be delayed further: IPOC

Singapore, 14 November (Argus) — The European Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) will likely face a second delay this year, said Anri Hadi, Indonesian ambassador to the EU at the 21st Indonesian palm oil conference (IPOC) on 13 November. A 12 November EU vote on whether to extend a six-month grace period for penalties and measures to be applied on medium to large firms — initiated last month — was inconclusive without a majority vote on the proposal, said Hadi. For medium and large enterprises, the EUDR will take effect on 30 December 2025, but a six-month grace period would apply on its enforcement, and for micro and small operators, the EUDR would apply from 30 December 2026 if this proposal were to be accepted. If member states do not agree to a grace period by 15 December, the EUDR would take effect on 30 December 2025 for large and medium companies and on 30 June 2026 for micro and small enterprises. Some member states instead voted to delay enforcement of the EUDR altogether by another year, to December 2026 for medium and large firms and June 2027 for small and micro firms. Under this proposal, there would be no grace period for enforcing the regulation after starting in 2026, Hadi said. Palm oil and some byproducts such as glycerol with 95pc or above purity are listed in Annex I of the EUDR, meaning exporters will have to submit traceability data to relevant government authorities under the EUDR to gain access to the EU market. Sustainability and enforcement guidelines still unclear Hadi called for sustainability standards such as the Indonesian sustainable palm oil (ISPO) certification to be recognised under the EUDR and for government-aligned guidance regarding geolocation data sharing requirements. But providing sustainability data to facilitate EUDR compliance is considered illegal under Indonesian law, said Indonesian vice minister of foreign affairs Arif Havas Oegroseno. Citing Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) licensing within the timber industry as an example, he said Indonesia could set up a similar licensing unit to provide relevant data to government authorities in the EU while retaining sustainability data domestically. Under proposed traceability requirements, smallholder farmers would be unable to comply with the regulations, Oegroseno added. Farmers subsequently selling product to larger mills would also impact the supply chain as these mills may export palm oil into Europe. By Malcolm Goh Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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