With Upcoming Elections, Trump Pressures Brazil to Increase Imports of American Ethanol
With sector in crisis due to coronavirus, Americans want to end barriers to sell more fuel to the country
Jun.26.2020 1:40PM
Ricardo Della Coletta
BRASÍLIA
The Donald Trump administration wants Brazil to agree to increase the import quota for ethanol in the country because the gesture will improve the American's chances of re-election in corn-producing states.
According to reports made to Folha, the Americans are working towards the end of an annual import quota without tariff of 750 million liters of ethanol - which exceeds this volume, pays a rate of 20%.
The current quota is already the result of an American request. Until last year it was limited to 600 million liters per year, but Brazil increased to the current value to please the Trump administration.
Trump and Bolsonaro - EPA
The USA produces ethanol from corn, and the product is cheaper than the Brazilian similar, made with sugar cane.
More:
https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/internacional/en/world/2020/06/with-upcoming-elections-trump-pressures-brazil-to-increase-imports-of-american-ethanol.shtml?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsen
Kid Berwyn
(14,651 posts)From a scholar:
Corn ethanol is viewed by many supporters as a sustainable fuel that can replace gasoline, reduce greenhouse gas emissions relative to fossil fuels, and increase energy security. Unfortunately, these claims are not supported by production practices. Corn ethanol is more expensive than gasoline. Its production and use results in higher carbon emissions than gasoline and causes additional environmental concerns such as eutrophication, soil erosion, land use change, and air and water pollution. The net energy from ethanolbe it positive or negativealmost certainly provides less than the minimum surplus required to support our present industrial society. Separately, high cost, negative environmental impacts, and insufficient energy return, could each prevent corn ethanol from being a sustainable fuel; taken together, corn ethanol certainly should not be blended with gasoline. Nonetheless, under the current renewable fuels standard, corn ethanol is a required additive and its use will continue for the foreseeable future.
https://libraetd.lib.virginia.edu/downloads/qj72p7142?filename=Appel--Environmental_and_Energy_Consequenses_of_Corn_Ethanol.pdf
sandensea
(21,530 posts)Second only to the U.S., Brazil produces a fourth of the world's ethanol.
It's certainly a source of pride as well as jobs - in a country that prides itself on being O maior do mundo ('the greatest in the world').
But since when does Bolso care about his own country's interests. He sees kissing up to Cheeto - even to Brazil's own detriment - as merely a way to further his own interests (Cheeto did help put him in power, after all).