The U.S. Grains Council recently changed its name to the U.S. Grains and Bioproducts Council to include a bigger focus on exports of U.S. products such as ethanol. Speaking at the American Coalition for Ethanol conference last week in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the Council’s Multilateral Ethanol Policy Manager Linda Schmid talked about where some of their focus is right now for ethanol.

Schmid says ethanol faces hurdles in several countries that the Council is working to overcome. “In addition to tariffs and non tariff barriers, there’s something that is really problematic that we don’t talk too much about and that’s fossil fuel subsidies,” said Schmid. “So China is very difficult market, but also India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria.”

She says that the Council recently submitted comments to USTR on both the African Growth and Opportunity Act where we identified the tariff and non tariff barriers that are inhibiting exports to the continent and the Section 301 investigation into Brazil’s trading practices. “We are anticipating more Section 301 investigations,” said Schmid. “We expect that to be kind of the mechanism by which they try and regain market access to a lot of these foreign countries, so it is a very exciting time in Washington.”

2025 ACE - Linda Schmid, USGBC (27:48)

Following Schmid’s presentation, she joined a panel on stage to address “Advancing Ethanol From Tax Incentives to Long-Term Markets.” Moderated by Jessica Monserrate, Head of Sustainability for BASF North America, the panel included farmer and ACE board member Ron Alverson; Thomas McKay, BASF; and Martin Baker, Senior Director of Natural Climate Solutions for Anew Climate. Together they discussed opportunities to integrate ethanol into new markets such as chemical value chains, including discussion of chain-of-custody and ensuring farmer premiums and carbon intensity accountability endure.
2025 ACE - Long-Term Markets panel (48:19)

2025 ACE Conference photo album