U.S. Grains Council Director of Global Ethanol Market Development Brian Healy and Juan Sebastian Diaz, Latin America regional ethanol consultant, visited Colombia in February to discuss the current state of the Colombian ethanol market with government and industry officials. They were joined by Ed Hubbard, general counsel for the Renewable Fuels Association, and Mike Lorenz, Growth Energy senior vice president of global markets.

Colombia is a free trade partner with the United States and is currently the third largest market in Latin America for ethanol. The country imported 44 million gallons of ethanol in marketing year (MY) 2020/21.

While in Colombia, the group met with government and industry representatives to discuss an array of topics, including the blend rate change that went into effect in 2021 that is expected to continue below E10 beyond February 2022.

The group met with the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism (MINCIT), Asociación Colombiana del Petróleo (ACP) and Porsche Colombia, about the current market and the potential for higher regional blend rates.

“Consistent blend rate implementation is a core tenet for successful ethanol policies globally. Without that consistency, environmental objectives are left unmet, and consumers don’t receive the product they are expecting,” Healy said.

“The Council remains committed to working with its local partners to instill the importance of maintaining a consistent blend rate of at least E10 to maintain market access and to achieve the ambitious climate goals that Colombia has established for the sector.”