US ethanol export program marks success in Peru

Map of Peru
Map of Peru

The U.S. Grain Council (USGC) reports early success with the ethanol export promotion program. 

After a trade team visited, 10 million gallon of ethanol was exported to Peru from the United States; a value of more than $15 million. The Council invited Peruvian ethanol buyers and producers to the international Fuel Ethanol Workshop in Minneapolis.

“The conference and visits provided the ethanol buyers with the opportunity to see the reliability of U.S. ethanol production and learn more about the price competitiveness of U.S. ethanol exports,”  Ashley Kongs, USGC manager of ethanol export programs, said.

The Council, the Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service and the Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association participated in the program.

“This success was due to recent policy changes in Peru’s energy sector, creating new demand for ethanol in this market,” USGC Chief Economist Mike Dwyer said. “While Peru has a few modern ethanol production facilities, domestically produced ethanol is still a relatively new industry. While it develops, Peru’s growing appetite for ethanol can be met with imports from the United States.”

Peru began its renewable energy portfolio seven years ago, and is now up to a 7.8 percent ethanol blend in its gasoline. 

“As a result of the U.S.-Peru Free Trade Agreement (FTA), Peruvian trade barriers to U.S. goods, services and investments have been reduced, making the United States a prime choice for becoming the long-term supplier of ethanol to this market,” Dwyer said. “We will continue building on this success through buyers’ teams, workshops and providing important market information that will build the confidence of Peru’s energy industry in U.S. ethanol.”