Brazil is expected to import 1-1.5 billion liters of American ethanol this winter. This story from Reuters says the imports are expected from December to April when the sugarcane-producing region is between harvests.
“We are going to import corn ethanol during the center-south interharvest. Today the price is right. It’s cheaper than local anhydrous ethanol,” [ethanol analyst from Job Economy Julio Maria] Borges said.
He said that imports would help meet growing demand for the biofuel. The Brazilian government raised the mandatory blend for ethanol in commercial gasoline to 25 percent on May 1 from 20 percent previously.
Brazil has also been exporting some of its ethanol to the United States, primarily, where it wins a premium due to its advanced biofuel status under the Environmental Protection Agency’s Renewable Fuels Standards.
Brazil’s center-south region is expected to produce 25 billion liters of ethanol this season, up 3.6 billion liters from last year.