The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) and the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council, in conjunction with the U.S. Grains Council, hosted stakeholders from Costa Rica, Guatemala and Panama this week to see how U.S. ethanol is made, distributed and sold as they consider blending programs in 2024-2025.

The trade mission group visited a farm, two ethanol plants, fuel stations, a rail receiving and blending facility, and a pipeline terminal. “By coming to South Dakota and seeing the process from the corn field to the fuel pump, diverse groups of stakeholders can visualize what is possible and hopefully shorten the time it will take to implement ethanol blending programs in their countries,” said Ron Lamberty, ACE Chief Marketing Officer.

According to Federico Salcedo, U.S. Grains Council Regional Ethanol Consultant for Latin America who is helping lead the group, these technical visits to the ethanol-producing states in the U.S., such as South Dakota, are an opportunity for representatives of public and private sectors from foreign countries to learn about the ethanol value chain in the U.S.

“Being able to learn first-hand about ethanol production, processing, and marketing stages helps these delegations and countries identify the economic, social and environmental opportunities of ethanol blends,” Salcedo said. “The U.S. Grains Council is committed to showcasing the United States’ experience with other countries, such as Guatemala, Costa Rica and Panama, that are considering starting in the near future ethanol-gasoline blending programs.”

The South Dakota tour was one of 11 organized by USGC following this weeks Global Ethanol Summit in Washington D.C. Other states hosting tours included Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Michigan, Minnesota, Colorado, Ohio, Kansas, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Kentucky.