Japan boosts bioethanol imports in August

Japan increased bioethanol imports in August, compared with no purchases a year earlier, although the Covid-19 outbreak continued to limit transport fuel demand.

Japan imported 43,842 bl of bioethanol in August, all from Brazil, according to the latest data from the country's finance ministry. Imports edged up by 0.3pc from July, with the country's gasoline demand for travel gradually rising.

Japan purchases bioethanol only from Brazil to produce gasoline blendstock ethyl tertiary butyl ether (ETBE). The country's refiners are obligated to use 500,000 kilolitres/yr (8,616 b/d) of bioethanol over five years, starting from the April 2018-March 2019 fiscal year. The target volume represents around 1pc of Japan's current gasoline consumption.

But the country also imports ETBE from the US, taking 777,916 bl in August, down by 21.1pc from a year earlier.

Japan produced 720,078 b/d of gasoline in July, down by 11.9pc on the year, according to the latest data from the Petroleum Association of Japan.

By Nanami Oki