Thank you to Iowa senators for protecting Iowa's biofuel industry

On behalf of America’s biofuel producers, we would like to thank Sens. Grassley and Ernst for their leadership in protecting U.S. exports and supporting jobs in Iowa.

They recently joined an important bipartisan effort calling on U.S. trade officials to combat protectionist trade policies in Brazil that threaten $750 million in U.S. ethanol exports.

Alongside farmers across the country, biofuel producers are setting new production records year-after-year, and America is now the world’s top ethanol exporter. These markets are increasingly vital to rural communities, where farm incomes have plunged in recent years.

But some foreign nations are working to shut out American biofuels exports. Most recently, Brazil imposed a 20 percent tariff on U.S. ethanol imports beyond 158 million gallons. For comparison, the 40-plus ethanol plants in Iowa produced more than 4 billion gallons of ethanol in 2016, supporting more than 34,000 jobs.

Brazil’s actions threaten to upend years of mutually beneficial trade, presenting a major threat to the livelihoods of farmers and biofuel producers across the heartland. Thankfully, Sens. Grassley and Ernst are working with our industry and the Trump administration to provide a level playing field for U.S. exporters so states like Iowa can continue to lead the world in renewable energy.

— Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy, Washington, D.C.