US Calls India’s Ethanol Import Ban ‘Unfair Trade Practice’

09-Apr-2025 12:19 PM

US Calls India’s Ethanol Import Ban ‘Unfair Trade Practice’
★ The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), in its 2025 National Trade Estimate Report, has listed ten trade policies from various countries—including India—that it considers harmful to American exporters.
★ The report criticizes India’s restriction on the import of ethanol for fuel use, calling it an unfair trade practice. USTR noted that while India has set ambitious targets for blending ethanol in petrol, it still does not allow the import of foreign ethanol.
★ According to USTR estimates, opening up markets in India and Thailand could lead to at least $414 million in additional annual export benefits for the US.
★ The Indian government has set a target to blend 20% ethanol in petrol by 2030. By February 2025, this blend had reached 18%, up from 10% in 2022.