US exports to EU threaten global biodiesel - EBB

06 February 2008 17:36  [Source: ICIS news]

ORLANDO , Florida (ICIS news)--US exports of subsidised biodiesel to Europe are threatening the existence of the industry worldwide, the European Biodiesel Board (EBB) said on Wednesday.

"Not only the EU industry, but the concept itself of biodiesel worldwide - except for the US - is endangered," EBB board member Doug Ward said in a presentation to the US National Biodiesel Board (NBB).

The EBB has long railed against US exports to the EU, which surged in 2007 to average more than 80,000 tonnes/month from April onward.

That compares with a monthly average of less than 20,000 tonnes in 2006, according to figures presented by Ward.

In December, the EBB said it had decided to lodge a joint anti-dumping and anti-subsidy complaint with the European Commission, possibly supported by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) at a later stage.

"There will be an official complaint," Ward said. "It is in the process of being put together."

Ward said the intent is not to protect the European industry or to shut off US product, but to place international trade on a fair basis.

Mandated biofuels targets currently under negotiation will in practice create a target of 25m-28m tonnes of biodiesel in the EU market in 2020, he said.

"The EU readily accepts that part of its target will be met with imports," Ward said.

Bookmark Simon Robinson’s Big Biofuels Blog for some independent thinking on biofuels

For more on biodiesel visit ICIS chemical intelligence

By: Stephen Burns
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