The National Biodiesel Board says it will consider all possible legal actions as it looks into what it calls a flood of biodiesel entering the country from Argentina. The N.B.B. says new data is out showing subsidized biodiesel imports from Argentina are still continuing to surge, pushing even higher in recent weeks. A June report from a business intelligence company showed biodiesel exports shipped out of Argentina reached a five-month high and all of it went to the United States. Argentina recently reduced and then dropped export taxes on biodiesel, contributing to the surge in shipments to America and making the situation that much harder for American producers. In March, the NBB filed a petition with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission because of the rising amount of biodiesel imports. The NBB says in the petitions that higher volumes of subsidized biodiesel from Argentina and Indonesia have taken away market share from American manufacturers and injured domestic producers. Anne Steckel is the NBB Vice President of Federal Affairs and she says they filed the petitions to level the playing field for America’s producers.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.