The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) staff and ethanol industry representatives recently explored the thriving market of the Philippines during a USDA agricultural trade mission (ATM). Together with the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service and industry experts, the council spent time in Manila meeting with customers and potential importers, engaging with key government stakeholders, and conducting site visits to feed mill and retail fuel facilities.
As part of the itinerary, USCG and Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU), a leading agricultural research university in the Philippines, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) facilitating the exchange of expert knowledge, technical information, and best practices related to the biofuels industry and policy development. Chris Markey, USGC’s Assistant Regional Director for Southeast Asia and Oceania, shared that they are excited to closely collaborate with MMSU in the Philippines, as it continues to be a regional leader in biofuels.
Among the witnesses for the MoU are the representatives from The Renewable Fuel Association (RFA) and the Ethanol Producers Association of the Philippines (EPAP) alongside with FAS Administrator Daniel Whitley and Philippines Undersecretary of Energy Roberto Uy.
With the projected increase in demand for gasoline as the country recovers from the pandemic, FAS expects the Philippines to increase fuel ethanol imports by 33% to 300 million liters to supplement the supply from local production. The Philippines is also the eighth-largest export market for U.S. agricultural and food exports, averaging USD 3.1 billion annually during the last five years.
(Source: Ethanol Producer Magazine)
