Brazil sugarcane group says Obama visit good for ethanol

21 March 2011 21:20  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (ICIS)--Brazilian sugarcane industry association Unica on Monday said US President Barack Obama’s visit to Brazil yielded positive results for ethanol, including an announcement that the two countries will expand a partnership for the development of aviation biofuels.

Obama arrived in Brazil on Saturday for a five-day tour of Latin American trading partners. The tour is also taking him to Chile and El Salvador.

The announcement involving ethanol was made on Saturday and included plans for the development of a renewable jet fuel that will cut emissions and set a common standard for the product, Unica said.

The partnership expands an existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 2007 by the US and Brazil to advance cooperation in biofuels, according to the group.

Flight tests using jet fuel produced from sugarcane are scheduled for 2012, the Brazilian association noted.

Unica welcomed the stronger ties between the two countries, but also used the opportunity to call for an end to US barriers on Brazilian ethanol.

The US levies a 54 cent/gal tariff on Brazilian ethanol, a restriction that Unica claims hurts free trade and denies US consumers access to renewable sugarcane ethanol and savings at the pump.

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By: William Lemos
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