Exports of U.S. ethanol and distillers feed co-products has been a big topic this week at the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) 14th International Marketing Conference & 57th Annual Membership Meeting in Panama City, Panama.

USGC president and CEO Tom Sleight says the export picture is changing but still positive. “Last year we had China buying a lot, now Brazil is in the market,” he said. “What the U.S. Grains Council is doing is trying to build those markets for tomorrow.”

China’s recent imposition of anti-dumping duties and tariffs on U.S. ethanol and distillers feed co-products has made business with that country more difficult but Sleight is optimistic. “I think we have to engage even heavier in China and talk to them more clearly,” he said.

In this interview with AgWired reporter Lizzy Schultz, Sleight also talks about a letter the industry recently sent to President Trump about the situation in China and how the new president’s trade agenda might impact export markets. Interview with Tom Sleight, USGC